The Falls City tribune., 1908-09-18
COUNTY OPTION is LOADED.
lKearneY Democrat.0

County option is going to be the
chief issue before the people at the
election of the next legislature in Ne
braska this fall. In view of this fact
1t is well enough hat the people be
thoroughly informed regarding the
many concealed features contained in
the misleading title of the issue.
County option Is not the counterpart,
or an enlargement upon local option,
as a great many have been led to be-
lieve. It is exactly the reverse 1t is
simply a negative proposition. 1t Is
all imitation of the old trick, heads |
win, tails you lose The only point
in the issue is this: If county option
should carry in Buffalo county no sa-
loon licenses could be or would be
granted in any city or town in this
county, no matter if every voter in
these cities or towns believed in the
license system. But. on the other
hand, if county option should be de-
feated, those who believe In the IL
cense system will have gained nothing
under the proposed county option
pldI, ptCdAsc liS iiCit hCiCot Vi
county option would in no way affect
the present local option system, and
Kearney, as well as every other town
in the county. would still be required
to submit to the will of the people
upon the matter of license. and, al
though county option was defeated in
the county, 1t would not carry with 1t
any assurances of affirmation on the
issuance of license. Therefore, it is
simply a negative issue and a One
sided proposition, carrying with it alb
solute prohibition of license issuance
if successful. and permitting nothing
whatever to be settled in regard to
the same question if county option is
defeated.
To be a fair and honest proposition
it must carry with it as much force
upon n side as upon the other.
That is what makes issues and sys-
tens fair and honest. 1t is a system
of flim-f1am TO propose a plan which
settled a question upon one side, but
fails to settle the same question upon
the other side. In other words. 1t Is
unfair and dishonest to permit all OF
the voters of Buffalo county to say
that the city of Kearney SHALL NOT
regulate the sale of liquor by the IL
cense system unless the voters of the
whole county be permitted to say
that the city of Kearney SHALL reg
ulate the sale of liquor by the license
system. And ven then 1t would not
be tolerated by law because the county
has no legal or lawful right to vote
upon or determine municipal ques-
lions. But here is a plan which is
proposed to permit the voters of the
whole county to vote upon settling a
municipal question, and settling 1t
only upon one side, while the question
dpon the other side, II the vote Is ad-
verse to the plan, leaves it still wholly
unsettled SO far as the municipality
is concerned and is still open to dis
reimbursement.
At present n municipality, by a
majority of voters, is privileged to
deny license within its limits, and by
the same methods the municipality Is
permitted to grant license, but by
county option licenses are denied to
any municipality within the county,
yet 1t does not provide for the issu-
ance of license. Our present Slocumb
law provides for prohibition in every
instance when the people are ready
for it and want it. and 1t ought not to
be changed for a plan that is simply
a negative plan and presumes to con-
troll the actions of municipalities only
upon the negative side of the ques-
ton.