The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-03-06
IN
PENNSYLVANIA
REPRESENTATIVE ADHESION DE
CLAREs LIQUOR PROBLEM TO
BE THE CAMPAIGN ISSUE.

tiun Is the burning issue In Pennsyl-
yania and the country. The people
are more interested in It than they
are in the tariff or an yother ques.
ton said Representative +. f. Ache
son, OF Pennsylvania, tonight
Local option cfubs are being or.
Eanized in every town and township
Of Washington, Beaver and Lawrence
Counties Their motto is: on toI
Harrisburg local option and the re-
peal of the brewery act of 1897
Washington County will send
three members to the Legislature who
viii regard local option as the par.
amount issue. They will vote for no
one for Speaker or for United States
Senator who is not for local option,
The speakership and not for local op.
ton The Speakorship and the Sen
atorship are matters of secondary inn
pCrtancc.
pennsylvania could get along very
well without Penrose or anyone else
for that matter in the United States
Senate. but it cannot afford to con
tinue in the clutches of the liquor in
terests.
"Thirty-two States now have local
option in some form. Six States have
prohibition. Pennsylvania is the only
State east of the Rocky Mountains
that denies its citizens the right to
decide whether or not liquor shall be
manufactured and sold
Pennsylvania politics. are domn-
ated by the liquor interests. The
brewers are the largest contributors
to the Republican State machine. The
much-vaunted Brooks laws has de-
graded the judiciary of the State In
many counties Judges have been cleo
ted who are bound to interpret lib.
orally the Brooks law
mo contest for a judgeship is held
without the liquor men taking an ac-
tive part therein. They flourish their
money around and offer to help can
didates so as to put them under OBJ
legations.
Many contests for Judges have
been made disgraceful by the activity
and lavish expenditures of the liquor
interests. In some instances where
the result was doubtful they have
contributed to the campaign funds Of
both parties SO as to be on the safe
side and to ask consideration no mat
ter who wins. AS a result the courts
in many counties construct the Brooks
law in the interest of the brewers
and the liquor dealers.
1T is doubtful if there has been a
contest for Judge in Pennsylvania
since the Brooks law was enacted in
which the liquor element did not ex-
pend large sums of money to influ.
ence the result.
1T cares nothing for the character
or qualifications of the candidate. All
| it wants is some one to deal leniently
with the applicants and license hold
ers.
1T is a disgrace to Pennsylvania
that the foul hands of the saloons
| have been laid on the judiciary.
when the prohibition amendment
was voted on in 1899 all the counties
of western Pennsylvania except three
were carried for it. With a county
local option law every county west
of the mountains except Allegheny
would 90 dry.
The sentiment is much stronger
now than in 1899, for this reason:
when the gang of Philadelphia
| rlunderers, politely designated as the
Republican Organization, got control
of the Legislature in 1897 to elect
| Penrose for the first term, it repaid
the brewers for furnishing a corrup.
ton fund by amending the brewery
law. Brewers were given the right
to deliver their product anywhere in
the country.
The brewery wagon is a travelling
saloon. 1t goes everywhere in town
and country regardless of local senti
ment. The poor foreigners particu
larly are debauched by the traffic.
'Breweries have been built in many
prohibition towns where the sentiment
is against the liquor traffic
"In Washington County we have 81
coal mines with $4,000 miners, most
ly foreigners. These men were ac
customed in their native countries OF
Southern Europe to drinking only
light wines or Misunderstanding beveT
ages. They were not beer drinkers
1T is now almost impossible to op
crate the mines because of the brew
cries 1t is estimated that the pro
duction of coal is lessened from %
to rs per cent. by the drinking which
follows each pay day.
1T has cost Washington county
100000 a year to keep it's criminal
courts in operation, maintain its coun
ty home and pay its bills under the
present laws on the sale Of intOXicat
ing liquor 1t adds a mill to the coun
ty tax levied. Our people, therefore
demand the right to decide whether
or not this traffic shall be abolished
Representative ]. M. Berry, of Wa
shington county, introduced a local Cd
ton bill in the Legislature of 1905
The machine strangled it in commit
tee. Representative Frank Craven, o.
Washington county, again presented
a bill in 1907 The machine killed II
for the second time.
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