Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-01
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS
OF THE LEGISLATURE.

The Speaker the follow
ing committee to visit the Home fer
Incurable: Messrs. Martin. Hervey,
Grover and Brannon. Also addition
al members on committee on enrolled
t, bills. Messrs. Willis and Kenney.
Unanimous consent being given H.
B. 235, apportioning the representa-
ton in the Senate and House of Dele
gates, was taken up out of order, read
a second time, amended by Mr. Rey-
nolds, and passed to third reading.
Unanimous consent being given II.
B. G2, was taken up out of order read
a second time and passed to it's third
reading.
H. B.. Sc. taken up out of order on
motion of Mr.. Brannon. fixing the
time of holding circuit courts in sew
eral judicial circuits, was read a sec
ond time.
Resuming the third reading of bills,
H, B. 20, relating to the sale of liquor
in Ohio and Randolph c%outies, and
putting the control Of licenses in
those counties in the hands of the Cir
cult Judge, was read a third time and
put upon its passage. Amended by
Mr.. Gaughlin so as to require four
ftths Of the voters of any county to
petition for an election for adoption
by other counties. beforesuch question
shall he submitted to the same
Mr.. Laughlin explained that this
bill was brought about by the indis-
criminate issuance of licenses to dis
reputable fake hotels had sprung up
all over the city. that were simply
'hrothal houses. Liquor was sold all
day Sundays and TO minors. He quot
ed from both the Wheeling Intelligent
Ger and the Wheeling News advocat-
ing the bill. Mr.. Laughlin painted in
vivid terms the terrible condition Of
affairs that. obtain in Wheeling under
the present system of issuing licenses.
Mr.. Laughlin said it was no special
bill of his. 1t had been in operation
in Pennsylvania for thirteen years
and did more than anything else to
benefit that great commonwealth.
The city of Pittsburg had been worse
than Wheeling now is and a grea1 re-
form had been worked there. Opposi-
tion comes from the brewers Of
Wheeling, wholesale liquor dealers
and the d~isreputable saloon keepers
OF the city, who started a petition
dSdluSJ II III INC SdlOOuS, lie COlSlu-
Grafton for signing being a free drink.
Mr. Laughln said he had a petition
signed by over 1000 of the representa-
tive citizens of Wheeling, by the min
listers of the city. Would this Legis-
lature hesitate to decide between a
petition started in the house of God
and n that started in a saloon?
The vote against this bill would
sound the death kneel of the material
prosperity of Wheeling, the CONNER
cial rival Of Pittsburg, which has the
Brooks law. The evil of present con-
ditiOns in Wheeling are eating into
the vitals of labor, which, being NOR
tai, has temptation fearing them not
only on work days but on Sunday al
so. He asked that this matter be put
in the hands of the respectable bust
ness men. Read a letter from Auditor
JLaFollette stating that fifty-two IL
quor dealers of that city (short Ii
cense mem were cheating the State
out of its just dues.
Mr.. Brannon spoke in opposition.
He believed in temperance; would be
a prohibitionist if prohibition was
practicable. He attacked the princi-
pal that the bill ~antagonized the local
authorities; and thought that if liQ-
uor had corrupted the city Council
and county court, it would also enter
into the selection of the successor Of
the circuit judge, unless the bill is
law, Ohio county might be over
whelmingly in favor of liquor and the
counties of Brooke and Hancock with
a minority of Ohio county, might shut
license out of Wheeling. 1t interfered
with the sacred and revered right of
local self-government. Conditions in
one county might favor the granting
of license and in anOtner might be
against license.
Mr.. Smith, of Chic, answered and
said the prohibition question does not
enter in it. Even a prohibition judge
would be compelled to grant license.
The two men who sit on the bench in
Ohio county are not Ohio county men.
A Democrat in the city Council came
to him the other day and said he had
to vote for the liquor men, but begged
the Republicans to pass the bill for
the sake of his wife and children.
Under the cover Of a hotel license, as
one instance. they have a den of mi
guilty that would do credit to Sedan
and Gomorrah. The law does not ap-
ply to any other counties, unless a
majority Of the people want it.
Mr.. McColloch said a saloon keeper
pointed to q petition on his counter
in opposition to the bill, said he had
never signed it and had asked no one
to sign it. This saloon keeper said
he thought that two-thirds of the sa-
loon keepers were in favor of the bill
but could not say anything.
Mr.. Steck also advocated the bill.
Mr.. Jackson paid a high tribute to
the representatives from Ohio county.
He said it was acknowledged that at
times our system of government fell
down, that communities became o I
rupted. The speaker had heard in
committee OF things in connection with
the fake hotels in Wheeling that were
amendable here. He yielded to no
one in his zeal for the purity of the
judiciary and if he thought the bill
would debase it he would strenuously
oppose it. For one hundred years the
State of Pennsylvania had a judiciary
that maintained the highest standard,
and the Brooks law upon which the
Laughlin bill was founded, had never
hurt it but was endorsed by the bar
49, l.