The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-06-24
BREWERS DOING
REFORM WORK
OHIO ASSOCIATION HAS ACCOM-
LlsHED MUCH IN THE WAY
OF REFORMS.
MUCH GOOD DONE

MUCH GOOD DONE
Louisville, KY, June 1s.-The Nation
al Model License league has investigat-
ed conditions in Ohio in connection with
the liquor business and has received a
report from A. II. Woodson, head of its
educational bureau. The report says in
part:
THE distillers, brewers and whole
salers of Ohio assure me that they are
unanimous in the determination to put
the lawbreakers out of the liquor busi-
situation is that ii is business suicide
to permit infractions of the law.
THE liquor interests have established
vigilance bureau and have put out
20 sleuths to search for violations of
the law. They are gathering evidence
all over the state and in several in
stances notably in Dayton and Gin
cinnati, have forced lawbreakers out of
business. In some cases they have
found that the local authorities oppose
the prosecution of offenders and in
such cases they present their evidence
to the grand juries and employ coun-
sci in the prosecution. Official prose-
cutors If so inclined, can hamper the
work in some cases but in the more
fragrant cases dare not act the traitor
to the state in open court
Embodied in the Dean law, a law
drawn by the liquor interests and sue
cessfully supported by them in the
Legislature, are the following regula-
tions:
" NO man who is not an American
citizen shall conduct saloon.
"A man who has been convicted of a
felony shall not conduct 3 saloon.
" "A saloonkeeper shall not sell to
minors or intoxicated persons
" No gambling shall be allowed in a
saloon
"'No improper females shall be per-
mitted upon the premises of a saloon.
In lou M
be exposed in a saloon
"Mr Percy Andreae, president of the
Ohio Brewers association, and Mr..
Morris Westheimer, president of the
Ohio Wine and Spirit association, have
the cooperation of the Personal Lib
eTty league, an immense organization
of business men outside of the bever-
! ages industry. These gentlemen take
the position that the prohibition move
ment would amounted to nothing If 1t
were not for the adverse public senti-
ment engendered by few lawbreakers:
=" 1T is plain business proposition,
said Mr.. Andreae, 'lawbreaking hurts
our interests and We intend to put the
lawbreakers out of the. business
" The Dean law is the most drastic
passed in any state for the regulation
of the saloon. 1t provides that any
| violation of its provisions must result
! in the saloonkeeper forfeting perma-
nently the privilege of selling liquor
"The Ohio Brewers association and
the Ohio Wine and Spirit association
| have sent a poster-circular to every
saloonkeeper warning him as to the
provision of the law and asking him
to report violations of the law by any
of his competitors. The promise is
made that the places of lawbreakers
shall be abated as public nusances
There is a widespread public inn
preston that Ohio has prohibition
clause in her constitution. The impress
sion is, of course, erroneous but the
I ~sap To duo - oil hat tITa
that Ohio shall not license the retail
! ing of liquors. However, the constitu-
tion provides for permitting the sale of
liquor, and laws drawn in accordance
herewith provide a tax system in lieu
Of a license system.
4 lsFUnder the constitution of Ohio There
L fore, the legislature cannot pass a valid
license law but It has come as near
under the circumstances.
II find that there is some impatience
on the part Of those who would have
no delay in the refOrmation of trade
condition This impatience is mani
tested both by the reform element in
the trade and by good citizens outside.
Nevertheless tine must be allowed
for the provisions of the Dean law to
become effective For instance, appli-
cants who desire to pay the retailers
tax must under the Dean law, answer
certain questions ana these questions
under the law could not be propounded
before the first of June Those who
cannot answer them satisfactorily will
not be permitted to pay the tax
ITO my personal knowledge there is
one place in Cincinnati, a free vaude-
willie saloon, centrally located, that pros
pers on the sale of liquor to men and
women of bad character. When men
toned this to Mr.. Andreae he told me
that the Vigilance Bureau had submit
ted the case to the grand jury and
was prepared to present sufficient evil
dence to put the place out of commits
sion.
"The Vigilance Bureau has compiled
great deal of data concerning the
character of those engaged in retailing
liquor in Ohio and intends to use this
to prevent lawbreakers from continuing
in the business.
1.-The Dean iaw provides severe pen
alties for those who make misstate-
ments in answering the questions pro-
pounded to applicants and the Vigil
lance Bureau will be active in seeing
that this section of the law is observed
to the letter.
Mr.. Andreae told me that particular
attention would be paid TO the records
of retailers so that ex-convicts may be
barred from the saloon business. He
said that while in some cases men who
| had been convicted of felony had re-
formed and been law-abiding, exper-
ience had shown that 1t is unwise to
| permit the eX-convict to have charge OF
or an interest in a saloon
" Society should make some adequate
provision for its eX-conYicts. We will
not permit felons TO degrade a business
that can be and must be reputable,
said Mr.. Andreae.
II asked Mr. Andreae II the prohibit
| ton element could be counted on to help
in the fight for the betterment of trade
| conditions and he said:
| % No, on the contrary the prohibi-
tionists will try to belittle our efforts.
/ aw-abiding saloons are no help to the
| prohibition movement
! -