Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-05-21
TOVOTE ON LOCAL OPTION
Council Acts Fayorably on Petition
at a Meeting Friday Night.
MEMBERS PASS AN ORDINANCE
And Tie Question Of Saloon Licenses VIII
Be Submitted To The People al
Each Municipal Election.

- ~ 49,
TIE city council held special meet
ing last Thursday for the purpose Of
discu sing the rropositionsto place the
question OF local option before the
voters at the coming municipal cleo
ton, and after a debate of some
length 1t was decided to grant the pc
tition Of those who asked that the
people be given chance to vote upon
that quest on.
Mayor Evans occrpied the chair and
there were present Councilmen Staut-
Nv, Berry. Emmert, Kline. Stewart
and Schill.
The first hrs mess to be disposed of
was the selection Of the commissioners
aud clerks of the municipal election.
This was speedily ACCOMPLISHED, three
commissioners and two clerks being
appointed for each polling place In
The city.
ii was decided that, Id order to get
the local option question properly be-
fore the people this spring. an ordi-
nance would be introduced and pass.
ed at the meeting Thursday The
measure provides that there shall be
separate ballot with the words,
.'FoE License and against License, =
printed thereon, these ballots to be
given to each voter who cares TO use
his privilege to express his sentiments.
A section of the ordinance also pro-
vides that the question of for or
against license shall be submitted to
the vote of the people. but some OPP
position was developed by the manner
of getting it before the voters. One
amendment was offered to the effect
that the extra expeq>e should be borne
by the petitioners. but this was not
adopted. There was also some oppo-
sition to that section of the ordinance
providing that the question should
come up every year. bat the ordi
nance as presented was finally adopt
ed.
In an interview one of the council
men stated TO newspaper man that
there was no disposition on the part
Of the council TO ignore the wishes of
the petitioners in any way, and that
he believed that the majority of the
members were heartily in favor of
granting the petition. There was.
however, some difference of opinion
as to the proper manner of getting
the question of local option before the
people, one or two members favoring
the plan of special election. where
the issue would not be confused by
any other proposition, such as might
be the case in the heat of municipal
campaign, their idea being to make
it clean-cut question on its merits
alone.
7 This councilman also stated that tho
result Of .the election would not be
considered as binding the council one
! way or the other, as it would be con-
sidered an. EXPRESSION OF the opinion
of the voters, and carry the same
weight as a recommendation on any
question from the majority of the
people. 1t is not unlikely, however,
that the wsight of such recommends
tion would have great influence with
the members of the council in grant
ing or refusing linnor licenses.
The action of the council was en-
tirely satisfactory to those gentlemen
who have had the petition in charge,
and an expression of the sentiment of
the voters win be forthcoming at the
city election.