The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-01-28
SOME CONCESSIONS
TO LIQUOR men,
But In the Main the.F features Of
the Old Clark 7iiI, Are Repro
duced--Provisions 20 Call
~ 81 ItUp Early.
BY Der e. WILLIAMSON.
!. tstaff Correspondent.)

tstaff Correspondent.)
Columbus, Jan. 25.-The Anti-Saloon
league has shown its hand and the
member from the Carroll Harrison dis
trict has presented the bill that has
kept SO many people guessing for
long time. It was believed by some
that the league was encouraged to go
farther than It had done In the Clark
bill, and there was a lively interest
shown when the new measure was
read in. the house, Friday. Representa-
tive Beal had kept the bill well bottled
and It was not known what its provf
sions were till it was presented.
It. was received rather tamely, after
1t was read, for it was thought the
league would have something new to
Offer But it was the old Clark bill
with some eliminations that were to
the advantage of the liquor men, rather
than the league. 1t will be on the cal
endar for Monday, when it will get
second reading, and the be referred
to the committee on temperance. This
committee is composed of well known
legislators, specially chosen. Speaker
McKinnon would not have commit
tee that would not report measure
back to the house, hence the commit
tee is composed of a majority Of tenn
perance men. The bill is thus insured
against being pigeon-holed, and will
come up to the house for third read
ing and a final passage.
LITTLE. CHANGE IN COMMITTEE
It is altogether likely that it will be
amended in committed, though it can
- not now be seen just where it can be
amended without destroying its intent
and purpose, and that will not be per-
mitted by the committee. If amend
ments are to be made they will have to
be tackled on after the bill gets fairly
before the house.
Speaking of the measure Representa-
tive Beal, who Is a college professor
said: o
There is not going to be any fire
works with this bill. I have had it
drawn carefully, and have tried tt
meet the objections that were raised to
the Clark bill, and which aided to de-
feat that measure. 1t was contended
that 1t was too easy for designing per-
sons to get an election for the purpose
of promoting Doodle enterprises, when
the number of voters required was only
rs per cent. of the total vote of ward
or municipality that was not large
enough to be divided into wards.
A FEW CHANGES.
"Now we Just have it fixed so that
in these smaller towns, where every
body knows everybody else, and there
is a minimum OF opportunity to get
false signatures or practice frauds in
securing enough names to call for an
election, 1t will take but a fourth of
the vote, while in wards Of cities 1t will
require forty per cent. of the voters to
secure an election. That leaves only
ten per cent. for either side to work
on, and in this way elections cannot
he held without a very large percen-
tage of the people want them held.
81 do not know that ! will appear
before the committee and argue the
bill. think / will have somebody
else do that, and / will attend the
meeting and listen. In that way
may get some new material and some
new ideas, that will come in good
stead when the big fight comes on tho
floor of the house. Fam confident that
the bill will pass.
ACCOMPLISHED HOME RULE.
"There is every provision in 1t that
will safeguard every interest, and still
the matter Of home rule in the saloon
traffic will be accomplished. It Is a
question that is fair on its face, and l
do not think this house or senate can
afford to dodge the issue. The peo-
pie expect something and ought to
have It. only consented to father this
bill after 1t was understood that there
was to be no calling of names aud
no display of pyrotechnics. 1t will be
presented to the legislature on its
merits, and will be 80 considered. This
is the Anti-Saloon league bill. 1t Is
the only one know of that is coming
from that source. l have heard that
there might be a bill to increase the
Dow tax, but know nothing about It.
The bill that we are going to insist un-
on is the ward option bill, and all
of our efforts will be in that direction"
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