The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-12-17
LIVELY
Was Tilt in Council on
Saloon Closing
Resolution
PETITIONS OFFERED

There was lively little tilt in the
council chamber between Councilman
Aungst and Councilman Shorb Monday
evening when the resolution compell-
ing saloons to close their doors at 12
o'clock midnight and not open them
again until O'Clock in the morning
came up. This resolution was offered
by Councilman Folk a week ago, but
Shorb had it laid over for a week.
When it was resurrected by Clerk
Lloyd and he commenced to read 1t
Shorb commenced to busy himself
with a lot Of papers that he had piled
up on his desk, almost hiding him
from the view of the newspaper men.
Shorb arose and said that he did not
have the resolution laid over be-
cause he was opposed to it. but in
the meantime he had received a num-
ber of petitions asking that saloons
be compelled to close their doors and
that they remain closed until O'Clock
in the morning. He said that the Pc
titions were on his desk and that they
contained the signatures of 440 per-
sons, voters and taxpayers of the city.
to present them as an amendment to
the resolution of Councilman Folk,
and that he had asked every council
man present to second his amendment,
but that all had refused to do so. He
said that he presumed the original
resolution was brought up in sincerity,
but he thought it very strange that
he could not get a second to his
amendment. Shorb said that when
he had asked the member from the
sixth ward (ShooO to second his
amendment that this gentleman told
him that the IL o'clock ordinance was
exactly what was wanted by all the
saloonkeepers. He said that there was
no church or creed back of the amend
ments, but that the petitions came
from the voters. He stated his
amendment, which merely asked for
the striking out of the figures IL and
5 in Folks resolution and inserting
1920 and in their stead. But there
was no second and President Owen
asked for a vote on the original res
olution, which instructed the solicit
tor to prepare a IL o'clock closing or
dinance, with the opening hour at 5
question be divided vote being TAX
en- on the closing time and the open
ing time separately, but President
Owen ruled against him, although
Shcrb read from the rules which gives
a member right to make this demand.
Shorb appealed from the decision of
the chair, but when the matter was put
to a vote by Vice President Folk,
who assumed the chair for a moment
for that purpose, the ruling of the
president was sustained, Shorb being
the only one to vote against it.
Then the tilt took place. Aungst
declared that DR.. Shorb and his
brother-in-law had been guilty of do
ing some underhand work and made
the statement that Shorb and his
brother-in-law had not only had these
petitions drawn up. but were instru-
mental in having them circulated.
Aungst said that these men went to
the secretary of the Y. M. G. A. to
have them drawn up and that some
people had refused to sign them be-
cause they were afraid that it would
hurt the chances of having the early
closing movement.
face as his blood commenced to warm
up a little. He said that he was not
guilty and that he did not propose to
be held accountable by the watch
works councilman (meaning AungsD
for something that his brother-in-law
might have done. He said that the
petitions had been circulated in
number of the churches, but that when
the petition was presented to the pas
tor of Aungst's church (not naming
the pastorl that gentleman refused to
affix his signature until he had first
telephoned to the councilman. No
countenance whatever was given to
the petition of the 440 residents of
the city in any manner and the petit
tions were still in the hands of Coun-
Gilman Shorb when the meeting adj
journed. 1t is understood that these
same petitions. with a number of
other similar ones, will be laid on
the desk of President Owen at the
next meeting, but not as an amend
ment-but as petitions from citizens,
who are in favor of good government.