The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-06-10
A Yisw of Local Optlon.

A View of Local option.
AT the last meeting of the Farmers
Association of Antwerp ant Paw Paw,
Mr.. +. h. Warner read a paper on
Local Option and, at the request OF
the association, the NoRTHERNER pub
fishes the following extract from the
paper, giving Mr. Warmers view of the
practical workings of the law in Van
Buren, County:
Local option went into effect in Van
Buren, County, May !, 1890. During the
year following, with John |. Brock as
prosecutor, several unsuccessful at
tempts were made TO enforce the law,
and those opposed to its enforcement
declared the law failure, and its
friends began To fear that 1t was, true.
"From June, 1891, to Nov. 20 of the
same year, f. r. Annable acted as pros
ecutor, by appointment from Judge
Buck, to fill vacancy caused by the
death of o. A. Goss, prosecutor elect
During Mr. Annable's incumbency of
the office of prosecutor, eleven convic-
tions for violation of the law were had,
with no acquittals, and $500 were paid
in fines and costs.
ION the Goth of November Mr.. Anna
BILE resigned, and Judge Buck appointed
L. III. Titus to the vacancy for the uneX
pired term, and he has held the office
TO the present time.
During the year 1892, there were 81
local option cases in court, IL OF which
resulted in conviction, l acquitted and
/ dismissed by the prosecutor. One
conviction was for second Otfense and
the respondent was sentenced to six
months at Ionia. The remainder paid
1864 in fines and costs and received Jail
sentences varying from twenty days to
six months.
There were % local option cases on
the circuit court calendar for 1893, with
10 convictions, acquittal and dis
misSals, and S9l9.l0 were paid in fines
and costs.
I'm 1894, there were II local option
cases in court, with 9 convictions and
acduittals. Five got Jail sentences of
from two to five months; three paid
fines and costs in the sum of 1918 40,
and one got eight months at Ionia for a
second oifense.
Thirteen liquor suits were tried in
1895, resulting m II convictions and l
acquittal. Eight got jail sentences of
GO days, one got six months at lonia,
and three paid 1884 60 in fines and
costs.
"In the January and April terms of
court for the current year, there were 8
local option cases tried, with convic
tiOns and two acquittals
Ninety cases have been prosecuted
in the county since local option went
into effect, resulting in IS convictions
acquittas aud cases dismissed The
aggregate of fines and costs collected
amounts To So, 557 10.
The prosecutions have been fol-
lowed up SO closely that not an open
saloon can be found in the county, and
the places called by the several appel
lations of Bootleg Joints Holes in
the Wall Mysterious Restaurants and
Blind Tigers are practically closed,
while some of the most persistent ones
in conducting sales slyly are now in
hiding from the officers, being charged
with second otfensc.
The local option law has been oper-
alive one month over six years, and
those who were opposed TO it have
made hard fight during that time to
bring it into disrepute. An application
was made in 1892 for special election
to re-submit the question to the people,
and an election was held Sept.
) of that year, resulting in a victory for
the friends of the law and good order.
Since that date, two attempts have been
made to have special elections called,
both of which failed to get the required
number of qualified electors to make
the application.
"In the early days of the workings of
the law, the penalties imposed for its
violation were largely in fines and
costs, which only served to encourage
those who were engaged in the traffic,
as they would sell by clerk, and on
his being convicted, the dealer would
pay the fine and continue selling by an
other clerk, claiming that it cost less to
pay fine occasionally than to pay for
a license; but when Jail sentences be-
gan to be imposed, it was more difficult
to find clerks who were willing to take
the risk of having fine paid by their
employer or going to Jail 60 days; and
now the sales of liquor are made by
druggists, in bottles, with very few ex.
ceptions.
eff there could be restrictions placed
upon their almost indiscriminate selling
to any one, on the pretense of its being
used for medicinal or mechanical pur-
poses, the good effect of the local option
law would be more visible than at
present
"At the last session of the legisla-
ture, the law was so amended that the
names of persons signing an applica-
ton for a special election to repeal the
law are required to be posted in three
public places in the township or pre-
cinct where the election is to be held,
and that fact will deter many from
again signing a petition for special
election to repeal the law, thus making
it more difficult to again secure names
sufficient for that purpose.
Our board of supervisors, prose.
cutting attorney and circuit Judge are
entitled TO our hearty Communications
for their fidelity to the law and the
principles intended to be carried into
effect by its enforcement, and we have
good reason to congratulate ourselves
on the work thus far done as well as
the prospect for the future, for public
sentiment is surely increasing in favor
of the law"
Personal.
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