The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-02-13
Given Mostly 10 the Biz
Questions Before That
Body

Questions Before That
Body
eBy Charles Brooks smith.
CHARLESTON Feb. fSas
senate has passed the Craig Is i
option On, which the House Wi 4
tuse to concur IN its present form.
n the Pill should anafiy feAs a
conference there win be no agree
nent The House has passed Inc
prohibition amendment which the
senate win refuse to mass. In retail
iationtor that anticipated event,
the House has a statutory prohibit
ton bin well on It's way to passage.
which win get the sand-bag when ii
reaches the senate, IL 1t does reach
there.
There Is no doubt as to that,
whether even the House Is as radical
and fanatical as that, If prohibition
by statute could get through It
would eonfiscate fifteen million dol
lars worth of propeFty In the twink
ING OF an eye. It Is regarded as d
hun on the part Of the extremists
IN the horse, and occasions mn alarm
SO long as the present conservative.
senate is on the Job. With this mix
up prevailing. with one branch
firmly for and the other branch as
strongly fernist extreme prohibitory
measures, it is an entirely safe and
reasonable prophesy that no prohi-
bition amendment will be submitted
and no local option law win be en-
acted.
The only law along this line likely
to be PASSED, is raising. the price Of
saloon licenses from $500 to 5000
and giving towns and cities me
privilege to do likewise. This pro.
vision is contained in the HATFIELD
Senate bill which has passed that
body and IS now pending IN the
House. The same senator il the
author of so-called primary elec-
ton bill, which is primary election
plan in name only. It's basis Is mag
isterfal district conventions simul.t
taneously held, and lays down elab-
crate and stringent rules governing
the selection of delegates. commit
tees, etc. It was stubbornly fought
in the senate, attempts being made
to substitute the vinson and the
Cooper direct general primary bills.
but It finally passed. 1t is doubtful
whether it will get very FAR in the
lower house. Another stin fight in
the upper house was over the
Craig local option -bTn. which ex-
cludes towns OF 1000 population.
The prohibitionists and the followers
of the county local option plan with
no exemptions provided, standing
together and fighting on the tinal
passage of the bill for three DAYS
The House has taken no action on
the bill yet. II It takes any. it win
be but to kill it. Suit may readily
be seen why the prophecy Of mo-
prohibition, and county option and
primary election laws at this session
Is justified.
~
The big political and corporate
Interests elashed this week in ms
he hearings conducted in the House
chamber by the two finance commit
tees and standing room only am.
dience. on the bills to levy a license
taE.son the gross receipts from the
production of coal,,oil and gas.
Those Interests hauled ont their
heaviest legal artillery to eomhat
the Rfeposition Two ex-governors
spoke against the blIIs-Fleminu
and MacCorkle-and reputed az.
perts in all three lines delivered adj
dresses. The meetings were held
three nights, and were closed ~
Governor Dawson and Tax comm,s.
sioner Townsend, themselves experts1
in the matter of taxation Of years Of
experience. These bills are n part|
Of the Dawson tax reform scheme
and about the only part which has
failed up till now to get ON to the
statute books. Aside from the IN.
forming features of the Governors
speech, he gently, but not the less
firmly, took the hide on" those
who have opposed this part ar bis
taxation scheme. 1t was the ab,ostI
address Dawson has ever delivered
on any subject. Townsend,s adv
cacy OF the bin was none the less
SO. The result Of these hearings is
that SO far as the house branch Isl
concerned, sentiment Is very equally
4 dfufHna :