Smyrna times., 1905-04-12
TEMPERANCE FOLK AGAINST
LAME LOCAL OPTION BILL
ARE ASKING THE GOVERNOR NOT TO SIGN
THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE ACT.
Executive Committee of State Alliance Oppose
II and Kent County Executive Committee
Will Meet in Smyrna Tomorrow.

EASSuttFS SOunlittce VI otdtS hlHdnCc OppOse
1t and Kent County Executive Committee
Will Meet in Smyrna Tomorrow.
The Kent county committee of the
Delaware State Temperance Alliance,
composed of Rev. Robert Watt, d. D.,
of Smyrna, Rev. L. e. Barrett, D. D.,
of Dover, Rev. W. G. Koons, D. D.,
of Smyrna, Rev. S. NJ. Morgan, D. D.,
of Dover, George NJ. Stevenson of
Smyrna. Prof. W. G. Jason of Dover
and Joseph Smithers of Smyrna, will
meet at Asbury NJ. E. Parsonage to-mor-
row for the purpose of considering the
Kent County Local Option bill. 1t is
said that all the members of the COM
mittee, except one, are opposed to
accepting the bill. The great majority
of the temperance people of Kent
county, in the ratio of three to two, if
not stronger are against the bill. Mon
day the Executive Committee of the
Delaware State Alliance met and dis
cussed the bill as passed. They all
voted against it and will ask the Gov
ernor not to sign it. At the same time
they decided on public meeting to be
held at Dover on May II, when plans
for an independent party movement
will be discussed.
Why the Local Option Bill Is Not Satisfactory
DIR. Watt, in an enterview with staff
correspc ndent of Every Evening gave
the following reason why the Temper
ance people opposed the Local option
rate polling places are an unwise and
unfair proposition. As the special
election will be held in out of the way
and inconvenient places. many people
will not vote. Second-As local option
must receive a majority of the regis
tered vote, it makes it practically i'm
possible to win. The liquor men will
induce people not to vote, and there is
no probability of getting a majority oil
the registered vote. Third-The time
given to distillers to dispose of their
wares, two years, makes it possible to
open any number of speakeasies. DIR.
Watt, who is president of the Delaware
State Temperance Alliance expresses
the opinion that the bill is clearly un.
constitutional, and believes that, ever
if it is constitutional, it will involve
litigation that will last two years. He
thinks it is like the Local Option bill
passed by the Canadian Parliament
which, after litigation for six years
was declared unconstitutional. Drs
Watt and Morgan called on Gov. Les
Thursday and asked him not to sigr
the bill, citing the reasons hereir
mentioned. The governor did not &C
on the request, as he wished to ascer
tain the general sentiment respecting
the bill before be decided what course
to pursue.
Project for an Indepe ndent Party Movement.
Twice denied the privilege, in spite
of solemn pledges, of voting on th,
question of license or no license of th,
liquor traffic in this State, says tn,
Every Evening the temperance peopl
of Delaware contemplate organizing
new political party, to be known as tn,
! Citizens party, which shall absorb tn,
} Prohibition party so far as State issue
} are concerned, but not on nationa
issues. The project was devised b,
Rev. Robert Watt, d. D., of Smyrna
/ president of the Delaware State Tenn
, perance Alliance, and other member
: of that organization, with whom b
/ conferred on the subject. Before
| passed for Kent county Local Option
bill ''full of holes," the Legislatur
[ was warned that an outrage agains
; the rights of citizenship would driv
| decent and selfrespecting citizens o
, all parties to band themselves in new
| organization, whose chief purpos
: should be the maintenance of tn,
} dearest rights of American citizenship
/ and the organization of the Citizens
/ party will be the fulfilment of th
3 threat.