The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-05-29
At TACK
To be Made Immediately
Upon the Jones and
Akin Laws by the
Wine and Spirits Asso-
citation of the State.

The most important action yet con-
templated to test the valility OF the
Akin tax law and the Jones local
option law, enacted by the last legisla-
ture, is that which has been determfn-
ed upon by the Ohio Wine and Spirits
Association. A meeting of the execu-
tive committee of the organization
was held in Cincinnati few days
ago, and represented all the principal
cities of the state. In that confer
ence it was determined to take action
in the courts to determine the validity
of those acts of the legislature. The
lawyers who will make the fight are
Judge Rufus B. Smith, Albert Betting
er and j., A. julius Freiberg, of Gin
cinnati. They said that the contest
would be to a finish.
Speaking of the contemplated action,
and which would be commenced in
few days, the attorneys said that the
members of the Wine and Spirits AS
sociation of Ohio feel that the Akin
law is unjust and unfair; that it in
creased the tax from $3.50 under the
| Dow to 1000 so abruptly as to op-
crate unfairly in the state. There
had been no notice during the cam
paign that such an increase was con-
templated, so that there was not OPP
! portunity for discussion of the sub
| ject 1t was passed in the senate, they
feel, by a proceeding that was not fair,
and prevented a discussion of the mer-
! it's of the bill.
AS to the Jones law, they feel that
| to allow a district to be proclaimed
! dry by a petition only no notice of
! the circulation of such petition being
! given, instead of by & regular cleo
ton, where all persons could express
their views, is a proceeding that IS
unfair, and is contrary to the consti-
tutional custom prevailing in this
country. Besides, there being no no
| tice given of such a petition, there
| is no opportunity allowed for dis
cussion of the question involved, and
| it has the effect of an election, not
withstanding the fact that the consti-
! tuition of Ohio provides that all cleo
ton shall be by ballot. Another OBJ
| lection is that those in favor of a
sale of liquor in district are not per-
mitted to circulate a petition to al
/ low such sale until two years after
/ l.
dry, thus making it one-sided and un-
| fair. They feel that the entire atti-
tude assumed toward the liquor inter.
ests is unfair and unjust. They also
feel that, while the legislature has
the right to regulate the traffic in Ii
quor, and the association is in favor
| of a wise regulation of it for their
| own protection, yet they feel that
there are enough people in the state,
and they believe a majority of them,
who are opposed to such laws, to en-
title them to consideration. They as
sert that the police power of the state
does not involve the right of tyranny
by one class over another
The Wine and Spirits Association
is composed of most Of the wholesale
liquor dealers in the state, and they
have large amount of capital in
vested. They have been considering
for some time what steps they should
take to test laws that they believe
are unjust AMI oppressive and not
within constitutional limits. Just
what course will be taken has not
been fully determined, but there will
be some action in court in the next
few days