The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-10-08

known as the Sunday Closing Act, !.
which provides that all places where
Intoxicating drinks are sold, either
at wholesale or retail. except drug
stores, shall be kept closed and se-
curely locked on Sunday from and af-
ter the hour of ~ o'clock Saturday
night and until O'Clock on the
morning of the succeeding Monday
and no person is permitted to be in.
the room where these liquors are sold
during that time, and all openings
OF every sort to said room are to be
closed. etc. And then It is further
provided that this room is to be In
plain view from the street ON Sum
day, unobstructed by screens or
blinds, or any other device, and a
light tif gas or electricity is used for
lighting purposes) must be kept
burning in the room during Sunday
night. 1t is made the duty Of
sheriffs and their deputies. marshals,
constables and policemen to immed-
lately close and lock any place that
may be found to be conducted in yio-
latlon of this law; to arrest the per-
son or persons in charge of the same
and take the names of all persons
found therein and report them to the
prosecuting attorney. And if these
officers refuse or neglect to perform
their duties they are liable to a fine
of not less than $500 or more than
100000. and shall be imprisoned Nm
the county Jail not; less than three
months nor more than six months.
And in addition to all this he shall
forfeit his Office and be ineligible to
hold or perform the duties Of the
same, or any similar Office for the per-
iod OF four years from and after his
conviction. And the person making
the sale, on conviction. snail be fined
not less than $4,000 nor more than
$250.00 and must be imprisoned in
the county Jail not less than six
months nor more than twelve, and a.
sale by the agent or employee is an
offense as we'll as by the principal or
employer. In addition to the penal
ty above Che court as part of Its
judgment shall revoke the license
for the sale of spirituous liquors on
the premises, and order that said
room and premises shall not be used
for the sale, storage or manufacture
of such liquors for one year from
and after such conviction. Certain-
ly this is not referred to by my Dem
ocratic friends as having tendency
to retard the development of the
state.
The Liquor Question.
Right here It seems proper for me
to say that 1 stand squarely on the
platform adopted by my party which
declares as follows:
/ "a large majority of the citizens
of the State believe that the traffic in
intoxicating liquors is an evil and de-
sire to mitigate ana eradicate the
evils Of such traffic as far as pos
sible. But we recognize that there
lis an honest difference of opinion as
to which is the better method where
by this result may be obtained,
whether by Statewide prohibition,
through amendment to the Constitu-
ton of the State, or By what is
known as local option through a vote
of the people in each county. We
believe that the people are capable
of settling this question. and that
they have a right to settle 1t. There
fore, we favor the passage by the next
legislature OF we'll considered and
adequate county local option law, and
also the submission to vote; of the
people Of an amendment to the Con-
stitution prohibiting the said traffic."
And again: We passed a law re-
lating TO the compensation of Sher-
IFS. Prosecuting Attorneys. County
Clerks, Circuit Clerks, etc. This
law provides that when the emolu-
ments from these Offices reach GER
tain amount the remainder goes into
the county fund for the support of
the county government. In other
words a portion of that which has
gone into the pockets. OF local officials
in the way of fees will hereafter go
toward supporting the local county
government of each county. In my
judgment this law is step in the
right direction.