The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-27

BY means of election methods, a
ward in any city may be kept wet and
saloons retained within its borders.
out that ward does not pay the taxes
to bear the burdens occasioned by
these institutions. Those taxes are
paid by the whole county, and iuries
and county officers and jails and aims
houses are supported by taxes levied
on the people of the whole county to
carry the burdens imposed by the peo-
pie in one ward. This is a species OF
taxation without representation, and
should not be permitted where any
method of relief is at all possible. SIN
other words. in our system OF govern
ment a county unit is the natural one
for the determination Of this question,
and thus reason and experience both
support the contention of the Repub-
lican party in this campaign in de-
handing that the people in eacs. coun.
ty shall be permitted to determine
what they shall do with reference to
the saloon In their borders.
Sincerity of Republicans.
But we are met with the objection
that the passage of a county local op-
ton law will repeal the existing law
and that we are not sincere when We
claim that the plan proposed by the
Democrats cannot operate successfully
side by side with the existing law,
while our proposed legislation can be
made to do So In other words, some
Democrats are claiming that our plan
will repeal the existing law, which our
platform pledges us to maintain, while
their plan will not.
have argued the latter proposition
fully and shall not refer to it again.
and only desire to call the attention of
the people to the fact that various
courts in the United States have al
ready decided that the plan we propose
is valid and constitutional and entire
that these decisions should be final in
determining this question at this time.
The reason why our plan will operate
successfully with the existing law, and
their plan will not, is that they seek
to have two dissimilar methods oper-
ating in the same unit at the same
time, while the Republican plan is to
have different methods operating in
different units at different times. In
other words, a county may vote wet at
an election and yet the Moore remon-
STRANGE law operate In townships and
city wards in that county, whereas If a
county votes dry all the territory
within the borders of that county shall
be from that day exempt from the
presence of saloon.
Conforms to Progressive Policy.
Under the Republican plan no saloon
will be established. They may be dis
continued, but they will not be started
An election may close up saloons in
the county that are already operating
in territory that has not been made
dry" under the existing law, but ii
cannot possibly start saloon in any
territory that is now free from its pres
| ence. Therefore the proposed law is
| conformity with the usual progressive
policy of the Republican party on this
ac on all other questions.
/ The solicitude of the Democratic
+ party for the existing law is very ten
der They insist that they are in favor
of it, and yet majority of their rep
resentatives voted against it, theil
planks have never declared in its ia
vor, and they must know that their
proposed plan can but operate to rem
der ineffective it's provisions and fi2
more firmly the hold of the breweries
and brewery-saloonS on certain sec
tons of our state, contrary to the man
ifest will of the people therein resid
ing.
No Ground for misunderstanding.
In order that no one may mistake
our position on this proposition, l de
sire to say that our platform does no
declare for prohibition. The Republi
Prohibition means the prevention O
the manufacture and sale of intoxicat
ing liquors as beverage within tn,
borders of a state. Local option
means that the people in a count,
shall determine for themselves VIVA
they shall do with reference TO thu
business. Homogeneous populations
within specific political limits, re
siding together and doing bus
mess together, may thus determine
what they shall do On this subject, ans
the Republican party pledges itself Il
provide such machinery by law as Il
enable said people to Ak the status o
the saloon in their midst
I desire that no one shall mistake
my position on this question, for / Ger
tainly have no intention OF deceivin,
any voter In Indiana on either this o
any other proposition. heartily be
lieve in the form of government estab
lished by the fathers. am an unwav
ering adherent to the principle. no
sufficiently recognized. / fear. i
these latter days, of the three indeper
dent and coordinate branches of gov