The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-02-02
EQUITABLE AND JUST.

Tie oregonian voices the senti-
ments of two thirds OF the people OF
Astoria in an editorial yesterday on the
local option issue. II says:
IF the legislature win amend the
lpresent miscalled local option law. so
that it can be offered TO the people as
a plain and fair local option measure.
the act will be approved by ten to
twenty thousand majority. opportu-
nifty to vote for precinct local option or
prohibition is the demand. and voters
who were duped and gulled AMI fooled
by the studied subtleties of the act OF
last June and by the hypocrisies OF its
advocates, as well as those who saw
through the artifice, but couldn't get
others to consider and understand It,.
are entitled to chance TO pass on a
plain, simple and direct local option
law. with all schemes and juggleries
OF the present law for enforcement Of
prohibition where prohibition is not
wanted, cut out Of it.
Probably the amended act viii go 10
the referendum; and II Is advisable
that it should. The governor would
not be likely TO hold that any such
emergency existed as required the law
to be put Immediately in operation. He
could not DO so, consistently with ala
utterances heretofore made. Besides,
submission Of the amended bill to tie
people will cut off the objection that
any snap Judgment has been taken
with il. Nor should the legislature, as
the Oregonian thinks, provide for sub
mission of the bill at special election,
but should let 1t go to the general cleo
| tion. in June, 1906. At no special cleo
ton would there be full vote, and de-
bate of the subject is not wanted In
the year of the Lewis and Clark fair.
THE bill should be very simple. Let
any precinct, in any county, have q
chance to vote for prohibition, il II
wants it; and If all the precincts Of a
Icounty want prohibition then there
will be prohibition in and for that
Icounty. But do not permit precincts
where no liquor is sold, because none
lis wanted, to force prohibition on pre-
cincts or towns that do not want it and
would vote against it. Again, If any
Iprecinct in city or town wants to pro-
hibit sale of liquors within its limits
give it opportunity to do so.
Reasonable legislation on this sub
ject is what the people desire and viii
approve. 1t is reasonable also to re-
quire that the petition for an election
to determine whether sale shall be pro.
Inhibited, or not, shall be signed by 81
per cent OF the registered voters Of th'
precinct. II there is any considerable
prohibition sentiment in a precinc
such number will easily be obtained
Under the present law 10 per cen
will suffice and thus very small pro
portion of the voters now may force
an election, year after year.
l Make true local option law, anC
there will be no protest against 1t. Al
1t now stands, it is called local op'
ton law, falso nomine? for its mali
features are those Of prohibition law
in disguise. There isn't an homes
feature in it, nor was there intende'
to be. Hence the uproar among tn
! local option element that supplied tn
! greater part Of the votes that had car
ried it, when they found that by trick
cry, juggle, chicane, GOWN and jesuitry
, they had been duped into support o
. it,"