The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-02-14
LOCAL OPTION /.
NO. .C|NCHED.
Constituents Claim Bare
Majority In the
House. 4
JUGGLING WITH (.
LIQUOR QUESTION
In State Observation-Disclosures
Bills Now Pending May be
Merged Into One Meas
ure--Outcome in So
Doubt.
BY Der E. WILLIAMSON.
tstaf Correspondent.)

Columbus, Feb. 12.-Representative
Williams did not succeed In getting
his resolution to submit the question
of license or no license to vote In
the house, Tuesday. 1t was made a
special order for 1880, but was taken
up out of its order and was referred
to committee on temperance. OF this
committee the Mahoning county man
Is a member, so he does not despair
of getting a hearing.
But the Republican steering COM
mittee was not prepared to allow the
matter to go to a vote. The matter
will therefore come up before the tenn
perance committee and become part
of the work there, doing its share to
confuse the general plan. This COM
mittee will have a special meeting
Wednesday night and will then dis
cuss all of the measures touching the
liquor traffic that have thus far been
referred to it. This includes the Beal
bill, the Williams local option meas
ure, an expression Of citizens through
out the state, in petition. concern
ing the Beal bill, and the constitu-
tional amendment proposed by Mr..
Williams on the license question.
CAN'T REPORT EARLY.
II will be seen that it is impossible
for this committee to make an early
report. There will be arguments Of
all kinds in the committee. A num-
ber. of persons representing the var
ious interests will desire to be heard
and will be heard there. Soma will
favor the Beal bill, some will favo.
the Williams bill, some will favor GER.
tain amendments and some will favor
the constitutional resolution, with the
alternative proposition of prohibition
attached. 1t is altogether probable
that the Beal bill will not come from
the committee in the same shape 1t
went in. 1t is probable, however. that
it will retain its identity, and that the
propositions that have been submitted
by the others will be made amend
ments, II they are considered favor
able.
Representative Williams declares
that he will insist upon his measure
giving the people within three hundred
feet on either side of saloon, in a
dwelling house district, the option OF
having that saloon there or have 1t
declared a nuisance, by the common
pleas court, thus securing its abate-
ment. II he does, as a member of the
committee he can make a lot Of
trouble, II he Is so inclined, and the
Beal bill may be so changed as to in
clude that feature or something like it..
Whatever the Anti-Saloon league
may think about it, Representative We
Beal, the father of the Anti-Saloon
measure, is not adverse to having his
bill changed. Said he to your CORES
pondent:
WILLING TO CHANGE 1T.
"If the committee sees fit to change
the bill / introduced, / do not know
that will complain. If they can i'm
prove it any, will be glad Of it,
Can the committee take all OF the
temperance measures now before 1t or
any that may subsequently come be-
| fore II and frame the WHOLE or such
parts as they desire into a bill?" was
asked.
Certainly the committee has that
power. ! do not know whether it will
care to exercise II OF not. but have
no doubt that II Il sees an improve
ment and wants to put 1t in 1t will 10
| in"
"wnl the Beal bill thus lose It's
IDENTIFY"
"Oh, do not care anything about
the identity Of the bill. II It can le
improved want 1t improved"
But suppose the committee should
report bill that you did not consider
an improvement"
"Oh, the committee will not dc
that" said Mr.. Beal.
So the outcome Is in doubt. It is
claimed that there are enough votes
In the house to pass local option
measure OF some kind, but thus fal
the members do not appear to have
agreed on the kind. The steering
committee of the Republican caucus
will have a great deal to say about
that.
HOW THEY STAND.
Price, of Athens. Is member ol
that committee, and he is opposed tt
all OF the local option measures that
have thus far been suggested. Pain.
1 ter, of Wood, chairman Of the commit.
tee, is by NO means what some people
may term temrercuce crank. Othel
members of the COMMITTEES. including
Mr.. Buell., of ColumbiaDa, are mel
who look at matters pretty tarcfuIIy
before they decide to make definit<
declaration, 20 the fate Of local opticr