Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-11
FIGHT OVER LICENSE
Is Making Things Lively Among the
Residents of Tarentum.
THE ANTI.REPEALERS ARE AHEAD.
Liq uOr Men Are Very Angry at Represen'
tative Mccullough.
THEY ACCUSE HIM OF BREAKING FAITH

1dtentum mas liquor uPnt, anu IDe lilies
are closely drawn between those who want
license and those who oppose it. 1t dates
back to the days when special legislation for
almost any purpose could be secured at
Harrisburg. 1t was in 1869 that townships
and boroughs were given permission to vote
upon the question of license or no license.
Since the passage of the Brooks law there
has hardly been town in the State from
which there has not been petition for the
revocation of the special law so that these
particular towns or boroughs could be put
under the operation of the new act
There is no question that many of those
who have signed petitions for the repeal of
the prohibitory law, were under the impress
sion that such repeal by the Legislature
would relegate the matter OF license, or no
Incense, TO the voters. Of course that is not
the case. The repeal of the special acts
would naturally put any borough for which
such change in the law was requested,
under the Jurisdiction of the County Court
so far as the granting of licenses is con-
cerned.
The Struggle at Tarentum.
Both sides at Tare are, as it were,
resting upon their oars. They have fought
their fight, and the temperance people are
believed to be the victors. They claim the
victory, at all events, aud say that they have
Representative Mccullough on their side.
Judging from what the temperance people
and those who want the law repealed have to
say, Mr.. Mccullough has got himself into
what the people up there call a "hole."
Both sides claim that he has made promises
and both sides insist that he has not kept
faith. The liquor men aver that he prom
ised them that if proper petition for
license was prepared he would see that
bill was introduced in the House for the re-
peal of the special legislation of 1869.
The people who are opposed TO the repeal
of the law-that is, those who wish to keep
the town in the temperance list-say that
Mr.. Mccullough has been placed in such a
position that he must vote against repeal.
They say that while his first impression was
to the effect that repeal would be good
thing, he has found that the sentiment
among the people who vote themselves
and to a certain extent control votes, is
against license. The result has been that
the agitation has been dropped, and the
temperance people consider their case won.
Rev. S. L. Mitchell, pastor of the Metho-
dist Church at TarenIum, has led the forces
against the liquor men. 1t was he who
found there was to be an effort made at the
present meeting of the Legislature to have
the special prohibitory law repealed. He
heard there was petition being circulated
in the town which was to be sent to Mr.. Nc
Cullough. Then he girded up his loins and
went for the liquor men-not only the men
ha had ha ba
for those who had the petition in charge.
His success there really amounted to nothing,
because his req uest to see the names on the
list was refused, though a few of them were
given him.
Petition of the Temperance People.
Then Mr.. Mitchell got up counter pet-
tion. This petition was based upon the
that the Legislature would pass
the repeating act. He wanted to head off
any such bill by getting the Governor to
veto it. This petition was signed by nearly
all the manufacturers in Tarentum and by
a large number of the citizens In this it
was stated that Tarentum, under the pro-
hibitory law, had grown; that its citizens
were sober and industrious, and that a re-
versal OF present conditions would initiate
against its prosperity.
Rev. Mr.. Mitchell, in speaking of the
OppOSlIlOn 10 Inc Tepeal Cl The
act, yesterday said: I'VE temperance people
were given to understand, some time ago,
that there would be an effort made to repeal
the special legislation whereby the people
of this town had decided to exclude from
its limits the sale of intoxicating liquors.
The paper that was handed around for sig
natures, 1 understand, had upon it 332
names of voters and citizens as it was
Citizens would embrace a
large class of our population that are not
voters. Then l got up a contemplation,
believing at the time that there was no
question as to the repeating bill passing the
OF course, was little pre-
mature, but there is nothing like being on
time. This petition was to 60 to the Gov
ernor.
Signed by the Manufacturers.
"This petition" continued Mr.. Mitchell, |
twas signed by manufacturers who employ, |
all told, 1900 men. j. B. Ford signed for |
the Pittsburg Plate Glass Company, that
employs !, 100 men; Flaccus &c Co., bottle |
500 men; Hartley & Wilson, |
tableware manufacturers, 500 men; Taylor Sc |
Challoner, $50 men, and Godfrey & Clark, |
paper manufacturers, 125 men. l had in |
tended to take this petition to the Governor |
myself, but unfortunately the grip got me, |
and there the matter rests just now. Still, |
there is a committee consisting of Edward |
Ford and j. D. Wilson, who will be at Har- |
risburg whenever the bill comes up before |
the Committee on Vice and immortality.
How about Mr.. Mccullough? Well, 1 |
think Mr.. Mccullough has heard from the |
people who sent him to the Legislature AS
understand it, he had promised the liquor
men to introduce repeating act and urge
ts passage. Now that he has found just |
how the majority of his constituents stand,
he has been hedging. He wrote me to the
effect that the bill would come up this week,
and that it would be well for those opposed
70 it to be on hand. 1 think he is mistaken