The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-05-27
cHILIJcoTHE COUNCIL DENoUN
cES ANTIsALooN LEAGUE
ORGAN.

mt local option election In hoss
,unty. which was hotly contested
nd won by the "wets," having beer
GRADED abroad as an occasion of dis
-der and rioting in this city, the
ty council on May 13 passed reso
ltion intended to correct the i'm
ression that this city was the scene
{ disorder. The resolution is signed
v August Sulzer, president pro tenn
yalter w. Bougler, city clerk, ant
Iayor Wallace d. Yaple. 1t is al
blows:
Whereas, On Wednesday, April
28, 1909, the same being the date
of the county option election,
then being held On Ross county,
reports and dispatches were sent
out from this city by the local
representative of the Associated
Press, which furnished the found
ation and from which the infer
ence was naturally drawn, that
the city of Chillicothe on said
election day was the scene Of
great disorder, of breaches of the
peace, rioting, bloodshed and
acts of violence and lawlessness,
which acts it was made to appear
were melted, aided, abetted and
participated in by the entire city
administration of this city, and
particularly by the mayor and the
police force, so that it was neces-
sary for the state militia to be
called out under the guidance of
the sheriff of the county to quell
the disturbance, and sensational
stories founded upon such re-
ports were printed in all news
papers served by the Associated
Press and thus given circulation
throughout the whole world; and
Whereas, A publication known
as the American Issue, in its is
sue of May 8, 1909, on pages
three go and seven CD thereof,
published what it pleased to rep
resent as the facts concerning
said election and the conditions
existing in Chillicothe on that
day; and
Whereas, Said reports and dis
patches were unwarranted, and
the stories manufactured there
from and published as aforesaid
were wholly false.
Therefore, be 1t resolved by
the council of the city of Chilli
cothe, state of Ohio, at this it's
first meeting since the date of
said election;
/. That we denounce the send
ing of said reports and dispatch
es by the local representatives
OF the Associated Press as be-
ing a Derversion of the truth, and
the stories made up from said
reports and dispatches and pub
lished broadcast as being in utter
disregard of the truth.
2. That the reports so publish
ed in said American Issue are
not only in a large measure alb
solutely false, but being pub
lished at a date long subse-
quent to said election, were pub
lished, as we believe, with full
knowledge Of their falsity and
with the deliberate purpose of
maligning the officials of this
city, who were courageous
enough to assert their manhood
and to refuse to be cowed by the
foreign hirelings of the socalled
Anti-Saloon League and also for
the purpose Of slandering and
misrepresenting this community.
3. That On the day of said
election the peace and quiet of
the city was not disturbed to any
greater extent than is usual at a
general election; that few arrests
We're made on that day, and such
as were made were without at
tendant disturbance of the peace:
that at no time was there any
semblance of riot or any indi-
cation of any disturbance that
would warrant any person in the
possession of his faculties in be-
lieving that there would be any
disturbance; that the militia was
not called out nor was there any
necessity for the same.
4. That we not only maintain
that the public peace was not dis
turbed on said election day. but
we also maintain that nowhere
in Ohio or elsewhere is life and
property more secure or better
protected than In Chillicothe.
that nowhere are there fewer
crimes against person and prop
erty; that nowhere do the citi-
zens more freely express their
desire at the ballot box; that no
where is there less crime and
nowhere a cleaner, healthier or
more desirable place in which to
live and do business, and that
nowhere is there a community
where life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness are more highly
treasured or will be more cour-
ageously defended.
3. That the clerk of this coun-
ell is hereby instructed to furnish
certified copies of this resolution
to the office OF the Associated
Press at Cincinnati, Ohio, the
American Issue at Columbus,
Ohio, and the leading newspapers
Of the country.