The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-02-21
THE bEAL BILL
STRONGLY OPPOSED
BY Largo Class Of Legislators
and 10 Likely TO Die . Sud-
: don Death. ..Other
Measures.
,rrom a stan Correspondents }

Columbus, Feb. 1S.-A most peculiar
situation obtains with reference to
the local option bills. Nobody seems
satisfied with the status quo, but few
know Just what they want, and those
few are not at all satisfied that they
could get what they wanted II they
were to ask.
The Beal bill, as 1t stands now, with
the elimination of ward option and
the substitution of municipal option,
might not be so strenuously opposed,
but it is not what the Anti-Saloon
league wants entirely. 1t would sim
ply mean that elections would be con-
fined to tho. smaller cities, and oppor-
tunities for collections would thus be
reduced to the minimum, for collec-
tions are always better where there
are agitations that get the people inter-
ested. The money is in the larger
cities, hence the limited opportunity
to collect enough money to keep 4
small army of presidents. secretaries,
superintendents, assistant superinten-
dents, spies and other accessories Is
greatly reduced.
BEAL HAS BILL NO 2.
Mr.. Beal has another bill. that may
yet form q part OF his original bill.
Some days since your correspondent
advised that DIR. Cain, of the Morgan
Noble district had an idea of doing
away with elections and having ward
option by petition. This notion has
also found Judgement with Mr.. Beal,
and he has a bill providing for it,
which he has generously dumped into
the house hopper. 1t calls for petit
tion of fifty-one per cent. Of the resi-
dents Of ward. The court shall close
the saloon when the people of the ward
petition in sufficient number. This
matter has received close attention
since 1t has been exploited and on it
will hinge the local option fight
1t has been pointed out by some leg
islators that 1t is always very easy to
get a petition. 1t Is said that the
personnel of the bearer of the paper
enters largely into the matter, and
that certain men can gee signers to a
petition without regard to the merit
of the matter petitioned for.
STARK'S EXPERIENCE.
So many communities have not had
the petition experience that fell to
the lot of a number Of men in Stark
and adjoining counties last fall, and
who will be expected to know better
this year. next year and possibly the
year after that.
II must be conceded that. for in
stance, the first ward In Canton, under
a secret ballot, would be very likely to
go dry. But would II go dry under the
petition plan? Would 1t go dry IL
every man who put his name on the
r.Sition were to know that his name
would, in all probability be printed?
Or ssGld ward having once gone
dr.. ge wot II every man were to know
tON his name would be printed? 1t la
almost certain that q petition in this
instance would fail.
One difficulty with the liquor inter-
ests Is that they are not praying to-
gether. The Liquor league, the old
est and heretofore the strongest organ
ization. which did SO much to defeat
the Clark bill two years ago, Is not In
accord with the Brewers association,
which has notions of its own and
which seemingly does not care to atfll-
late with the independent saloonkeep-
rf. save on order days and collection
days. They are figuring for them
selves, and for what they think would
benefit them. for they keep up great
many of the saloons in the outskirts,
and quite few nearer the centre OF
the business district.
OUTCOME IN DOUBT.
So nobody can pick the situation
out to a certainty. 1t may, as a result
of the tug-of-war methods on either
side. allow tho law to be just what 1t
Is. At any rate, Senators Foraker and
Hanna will doubtless have to step In
and settle it.
In this connection 1t may be said
that there are yet number of people
who have notions that they may pre-
sent. One legislator says he will in
trOducc, during the week, bill that
will put the business on a more equit-
able basis. His heart bleeds for the
little fellow that has to pay the same
amount Of tax to take In few dollars
day as the big fellow that takes in a
great many dollars a day. He would
have graded license measure. The
grading is to be done with reference to
the location and environment. and
moncy-asking capacity of the place. 1t
could only be based on receipts, SO a
commission would probably go around
once year and find out how much
the saloon had taken In and fix the
penalty. Doubtless, under this benign
measure, the state would be rewarded
with even higher sum from taxation
of the liquor trafftc, than ID has hereto
fore. for the highest grades would run
UP to 81 900 and probably over.
A sLIDING SCALE.
The member thinks Of making Il
$1,000 for the real biz fellows. $500