The independent., 1907-02-14
HOPE FOR COUNTY OPTION?
SEVERAL SENATOR'S WANT TIC
VOTE ON ANOTHER BILL.


sions Of regret have been heard from
several of the senator's that the county
option bill, defeated by a vote of
twelve to twenty-one, was not modified
so as to meet the objections that were
urged against 1t instead of being so
early dismissed. In discussing the mat
ter among themselves the senators find
that several of those who voted against
the bill really had strong leanings to-
ward the proposition OF giving the
farmers right to vote for or against
the existence of saloons.
some OF the senators objected to the
defeated bill because it allowed the
question 10 come up in the counties
every two years. Others objected to
what seemed to be an unfairness In
the bill in that 1t provided that "a dry
vote would make all the towns Of the
county dry but "a Wet vote would not
necessarily mean wet. For these and
other reasons the bill was voted down
with feeling in the hearts of several
senators, who voted against it, that
there ought to be some legislation
along this line.
Among the senator's who feel that
H..
fact, represent their sentiments on the
saloon question, nor the sentiment of
their constituents, is Senator Joe
Burns, OF Lancaster. Speaking Of his
vote against the county option bill,
Senator Burns said "The defeat Of that
bill did not in fact represent my senti-
mentS on the question of county option
l am personally temperance man. In
the tWenty-four years which / have
lived in Lincoln / have not been a
patron of the saloons, and / have raised
up family of young men who have
followed my example in this regard.
1T is true that in my political affilia-
tions | have mixed in politics with men
who favor leniency toward the saloon
interests. Some of my best political
friends have such views but my friends
know, and | want the people Of Lin
coin and Lancaster county, to know
that / am not a believer in the saloon
system; that / will not use my position
as senator to assist the saloon cause in
this state.
There were some objections to the
county option bill which seemed to me
unanswerable and / voted against the
bill but ] told some of my fellow SEN
ators before. the vote was taken, and /
say now that if that county option
proposition comes back to the senate
from the house in such a way that the
two year voting clause will be stricken
out | will support such a bill and it
wet or dry.
The fundamental principle of allow
ing the farmers surrounding town to
vote on the question of saloons in that
town as an abstract proposition is just
and cannot be controverted. I'd like to
hn xyr,fn IN Oh, l.
question at a special election where
party affiliations would cut no figure"
On this subject Senator Wilson said:
"a to county option as it came be-
fore the senate last Friday afternoon,
/ have this to say: That the form in
which the question presented itself was
very unsatisfactory to me inasmuch as
/ felt impelled to ally myself with in
terests which | am radically opposed 10
and have always opposed, viz. the
liquor traffic. But the question as pro-
posed in that bill involved to my mind.
the principle of the right of every man
to cast one ballot and to have that
ballot count and this the bill did not
permit for it expressly provided that
unless the farmer voted against license
his vote did not count. Personally,
am of the opinion that the proposition
upon the question OF saloon or no sa-
loon in his county is a fair one so long
as we resort to the license plan OF
regulating and dealing with the saloon
evil. but ii must come in such form
that all votes shall be upon par"
Senator Mc<esson expressed regret
that the principle of local option de-
feated i'm TIE senate bill had been al
lowed to stand and To go into the SEN
ate record as the sentiment of that
body. cit seemed impossible" said
Senator Mckesson. Ito get the bill
modified In such q way rs To meet the
views of the different senators and yet
somehow | felt that II was not the
right thing TO vote down the principle
OF local option.
81 am no saloon man. | grew up In
this town of Lincoln, and was a boy
here forty years ago When | ran Tor
the legislature the first time agents of
the saloon keepers of Lincoln posted
bills against me an over the city warn