The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-02-13
NOW UP TO
THE SENATE.
Fate Of the Clark Bill Thought
to Rest There.
COMMITTEE QUESTION
That May Have Som ething to Do with
what Finally Comes of the Bill
Members Discuss Its Pro-
visions and Scope.
special to News-Democrat.

Special to News-Democrat.
Columbus, Feb. 12.--Just now public
interest is attracted generally to the
fate of the Clark local option bill in
the senate.
The first fight will come on the choice
of committee to which it shall be refer
red. There being no committee on tenn
perance legislation in the senate the
friends of the measure are said to favor
entrusting it's future to the senate judi
ciary. Opponents of the bill may en-
deayor to side-trac it into the commit
tee on taxation or some other wholly
irrelevant committee. 1t is claimed,
however, that a canvass of the judi
ciary committee has been made by the
opponents Of the bill and that nine of
the sixteen members of that committee
can be relied upon by the anti-temper-
ance element, but the names of the nine
are not given by those making the
claim.
A poll made of the senate divides the
forces in this manner: Those believed
to be openly in favor of the Clark bill
are OtlldlOlS llSult IslllltlJ Iltl pduBllj
Lawrence, Marchant Middleton, Roger,
Stivers, Williams and Wightman-1O.
Counted in opposition to the bill, Sen
ators Brorein, Brown, Cohen, Dunham,
Hanna, Hurst, Long, Nippert, Patter-
son, Roudebush, Siebe" and Wilhelm
-12.
Those in favor of the bill If amended
a. II.
fourth the numbers Of voters to petition
are said to be Senators Harding, How
ard and Sheppard.
Leaving Senators Archer, Dodge,
Madden, Mitchell, Myers and Writ to
be claimed by both sides
Friends of the Clark bill will fight
every proposition to amend. Mr.. Clark,
the author of the bill, said yesterday
that the whole purpose of the enemies
of the bill is to get it to travelling back
and forth from senate to house on
amendments, with the ultimate inten-
ton OF hanging it up between the two
houses until after adjournment. That
is why the advocates of the bill will
fight every effort to amend the bill.
Mr. Clark says the statement circu-
lated that Governor Nash is hostile
to the bill are utterly unfounded, and
are made to scare those who may be in
doubt as to the real wishes of the gov
ernor.
This is backed up by what Governor
Nash is reputed to have said at Ports
mouth to the effect that the bill should
not be regarded as really dangerous
from political point of view.
So fas as the political effect of the
bill is concerned. it is a case Of choosing
between the two haystacks. The Re-
publican house has committed the party
to the measure-and the liquor people
are up in arms.
If the Republican senate turns down
the bill, or juggles with it in any way
to cause it's amendment or defeat the
temperance people will be up in arms.
So what is the Republican legislature
going to do about it?
Now it is known why Mr.. Griffin, of
Lucas, did not support the bill in the
house.
Mr.. Griffin is opposed to the ward
boundary provision of the bill, and for
this reason: He says that after a ward
or more than ward has voted to Danish
the saloons, there is nothing to prevent
a city council, which may be favorable
to the liquor interests, redistricting the
wards of city, no matter on what pre-
text, and the change of boundaries
would vitiate the result of the local op-
tion vote in such ward. Then, before
another election could be held, the sa-
looms would locate in the ward and the
whole difficulty with all it's strife and
commotion would be brought on again
Mr.. Griffin favors option by districts
without reference to ward boundaries
described by metes and bounds in the
ence to have such an amendment adopt
ed by the senate.
He intended to offer such an amend
ment in the house. but he was cut off
by the demand for the previous ques-
tion as soon as several speeches were
made in favor Of the bill.
Mr.. Griffin's idea is that any portion
of city, whether the territory is en-
braced all in one ward or more than
one ward or parts of several wards, by
excluding the business portion Of a
city where saloons naturally belong
If the entire city does not vote them out
of existence, might petition for a vote
upon the issue in the territory to be
described in the petition, and If the
issue carries it cannot be affected by
change Of ward boundaries or in any
other way except by an election. He
cites as proof of the efficacy of his plan
the strip of about five miles between
the business portion of st. Paul and
Minneapolis, where local option carried
some years ago, when that territory was
thinly occupied, but which Is now built
up largely as a result OF there being no
saloons in that district For such rea-