The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-03-02
IT'S FATE HANGS
BY A THREAD.
Clark Bill Must Go Back to the
House For Correction.
NUMBERED WRONG.
That Little Tecbicality May BE the Thing
That will KIN the Bill That
Is Creating SO Much
Discussion.

Discussion.
Columbus, Feb. 2S.--The Clark bill
was informally considered last night
by the senate judiciary committee in
executive session and a decision reached
to give opportunity for general discus
sion of the measure by it's friends and
opponents at another meeting of the
committee next Tuesday evening.
In the discussion 1t developed that
some of the accepted friends of the bill
are disposed to a greater degree of lib
erality than had been anticipated, and
are advocating q more careful study of
not only the provisions Of the bill, but
the probable political effect Of it's pass
age.
Among the mentioned amendments is
one eXempting from the provisions of
the measure all first class hotels; an
other provides for the increase of the
number of petitioners from one-fourth
to one-third; another makes it binding
upon every petitioner for such an cleo
tion that he support the local option
movement in casting his ballot. then
it is proposed that petitioners be made
to stand security for the costs of cleo
tions if held at any other than the reg
ular municipal elections: wholesalers
interests are to be looked after to the
extent of exemption from the more rad
ical provisions of the bill especially as
affected by the furnishing" clause;
the ward provision is pointed out as
weak for the reason that city councils
may DESTROY the results of an election
at any time by changing the ward boun-
daries; an amendment will be asked to
make the provisions apply to a certain
district rather than any
ward; then, finally, it is argued that
inasmuch as any ward is given a period
after a municipality has failed to go
dry by municipal election and thereby
offered a second chance at going dry
in that designated ward, the same priv
ilege should be accorded any ward de-
string to vote upon the proposition of
going wet after a municipality has by
municipal election gone wet. This is
pointed to as the quintessence of fair
ness in applying literally the principal
of home rule under the initiative and
referendum.
About the most startling point devel-
oped in the session tonight was the fact
that this bill will inevitably be reported
with an amendment. Regardless of the
conn co.'s wisbac pr dicpocitio,, ~ 1,,ilI
be imperative that an amendment be
made. In passing the house the bill in
it's provisional sections was numbered
incorrectly. There are two sections II,
the bill ending numbered section IL,
there are in truth thirteen Sec
tions all told. -
In order to correct this seemingly sim
pie error it will be necessary to send
the bill back to the house for concur
renee, and in this will be offered an ex-
ceptionally good chance for holding the
bill up indefinitely, either in the hands
of joint conference committees or by
further amendment in the house. Upon
this trifling technicality may ultimately
be determined the fate of the bill, as
tonight the bill. if voted upon, would
pass. The fact that the
friends of the bill, by moving the pre-
vious question, summarily choked off
all discussion in the house after they
had presented their side of the question
Is already working against the meas
ure in the senate. Tonight this point
was referred to in the discussion be-
fore the committee and careful consid-
Grafton of every provision of the meas
ure as well as every legislative step
toward its passage advised.
SAYS 1T WILL PASS.
Columbus, Feb. 2S.-Representativ
Clark, the author of the Clark local
option bill, stated tonight that he is
absolutely certain that the bill will pass
the senate and become law. He has
been somewhat exercised over the re-
ports that enough senators had been Sc
cured by the opposition to the bill to in
sure its defeat, but after a careful can
vass of the senate is satisfied that these
claims are without foundation. 1--WE
will have 20 votes in the senate for the
BILL" said he. "Three or four Demo-
Gratis will vote for the bill, and about as
many Republicans will vote against it,
But in my mind there is absolutely no
doubt that it will pass the senate with
out amendment"