The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-03-20
DEFEATED In SENATE
COUNTY LOCAL OPTION BILL. IN
DEFINITELY POSTPONED.

DEFINITELY POSTPONED.
Measure Has Attracted Great Attsn-
ton and Numerous Petitions Re-
quested Its Passage-Power Given
Country Voters Principal Objection.
ST. Paul. March 11-That a legisla-
ture is fealfully and wonderfully made
was quite thoroughly demonstrated
last week. Early in the session the
temperance people, especially the wo-
men, took heart of hope that some
thing practical was going to be accom-
plished at this session. They set their
mark on securing local option in the
counties and | really confess to sur
prise at the number of petitions sent
in favoring county local option law.
Our present laws permit township
local option but not a county 1t seems
to me that almost every county in the
state has sent in a petition. And in a
against the bill, but those were very
few. The temperance committees, at
their numerous public hearings, one in
the house a few days ago, brought
forth 2 large attendance, especially of
women. Another day during the week
they undertook to hold meeting in
the committee room. The room was
packed to suffocation and the hall
leading to it was so thronged as to be
useless for occupancy for an hour or
two. Two days after the second and
last meeting, which on the surface
looked as if there was a great popu-
lar uprising for the bill, the temper
ance committee of the senate sprung
a surprise by submitting to the senate
a majority and minority report. The
majority report recommended the bill
: to be indefinitely postponed while the
/ minority report favored its passage.
Supporters Caught Mapping.
The supporters of the measure were
evidently caught mapping, for the gal
/ leries were empty and there was
! scarcely woman on the floor when
the report came in. | had not fol
i lowed the matter closely, but | felt a
good deal as | did about the 2-cent
railroad fare, that the enactment of
some law was inevitable, because
there seemed to be a popular senti>
ment, which as | measure sentiment,
YVES practically irresistible. 1t was
/ therefore a great surprise and GER
tainly a great disappointment to the
temperance people to have the senate
adopt the report indefinitely postpon-
ing the bill. This was done by vote
Of 81 to %. The strong argument
against the bill was a business oaa
When the high license bill was
passed strong argument in its for
was the amount of income it would
produce in the carrying on Of public
affairs where the licenses wee issued.
The minimum license in tie country
was $500 and in the cit ;es $1,000. In
travelling through the state a year or
two ago I found a very large portion
of the country towns having saloons
charging more than $500 and it was
not uncommon to find licenses in small
places reaching $500, 500 and $500.
Limiting Number of Saloons.
In fact, it was not uncommon for
saloonkeepers in a place to combine
with the public authorities and say
to them, if you will limit the number
of saloons to a certain number, say
four or five, we will be willing to pay
higher license, so that you will get
more money from the smaller number,
while at the same time you are pam
dering to the temperance element of
your community In a great many
places this worked to charm. found
from personal observation that the ex-
penses of the towns in the way of po-
lice and fire departments, where they
had any at ALL were paid for by the IL
censes from the saloons 1t is there
fore a serious proposition to ask the
legislature to pass law which would
cut off this revenue for supposed ne
cessities in town by giving the coun-
try people chance to make the whole
county without an earning capacity
from the saloons. The isolated farm
ers in many cases could prevent the
towns in their county issuing licenses
for saloons and then the people would
have to pay more taxes to keep up the
expenses of their town. l think that
was the reason why the senate indefi-
nitely postponed the BILL 1t was a
great fight to get the high license bill
through, but it was put through by the
temperance people and it is now a
question whether, in view Of this ac
ton this winter in refusing to pass a
county local option law, the temper
ance advocates have not been hoist
by their own petard
Great Interest in the Question.
Prominent as the railroad question
has been it has not begun to command
The attention which this temperance
movement has. | do not suppose the
TEMPERANCE people will give IN the