The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-01-07
!. The Liauor Question.

-
While petitions are being signed
throughout the state on. the liquor
question. dts 5Hotsthe part Of wis
dom tosoveHook the. PLANK on this
subject n. The Republican state plat
form. upon which the. Governor.
elect went before the. people and
tTiumphed. :. Notwithstanding the
Democratic and Prohibition OPPOSE
ton to himts, For. the beneft of
Telegram fesdeEs, and to- sfreshen
their minds on. :tSeN subject that
plank of the Republican state plat
form is ahere reprpducsd:
"a large majority. ofsthe citizens
of the State believe chat the trafRc
in, intoxicating liquors Is an dkil. and
desire to mitigate and .eradteate, the
evils of such trsfio as far as pos
sible. But we,tec6gnize that there
IS an honest difference of opinion as
to which is the better method where
by this result may be obtained,
whether by Statewide prohibition.
through amendment to. the Consti-
tuition of the State, or ny what is
known as local option through a
vote of the people IN each county.
We believe that the people are
capable Of settling this question, and
that they have the right to settle It.
Therefore. We favor the passage by
the next Legislature of a well-con-
sidered and an. adequate local option
law, and also thessubmlssion to a
vote Of the pebble OF an amepdment
to the Constitution prohibiting the
said traffic.
This plank in the platform was
emphasized on the stump and in the
Republican lpress during the cam
paign and 1t was thoroughly Ynder-
stood by. the, people. who certainly
settled the question at the polls, IN
favor of local option and the sub
mission OF the amendment. II is a
party pledge, which the people, when
they voted for 1t, expected the party
to keep. !
Some Intimate that Ii would be
betterSas a matter. of party exped-
iencyt to defer action until the, ses-
SIGN of the legislature two years
asdce. But. the alank plainly says
the next legislature" .and not the
one'tp 3oiiow'that one,
Z .After reading and reviewing the
plank as here reproduced, it ought
not to- be necessary for men to sign
petitions asking for submission, as
{ the party promise is as plain as It
can be. But. in most instances,
wherein these petitions are being
signed, opposition to a local option
law is doubtless the, impeIlIng mo-
tive. That opposition was defeated
at the polls and Toagst not to have
to be sontended with. by the legisla-
ture, however nue. stbe signers have
the right to betitse9.
: Again, those, who. are urging the
passage q the -nfoasl liquor license
ought to recognize, the1Fact that the
people voted Tor. l6easoption and tho
party has pitaeEd itself TO enact
such a law. 2Yx6ils the model license
;pnayf a greaEy ydrGRssd. step in
seformips sGd eleEating the liquor
BUSINESS, ret il vas not an issue in
the 1sst CAM slas and the Republic
;ean slse of ses 9gisiature is not
pledged tslt, & 3St t1ls, qdntrary the
Republican sprt r;Is pledged to do
two things II fi1s liquor question
pass local sption law and submit
the prohiblttoY amendment. There
IS NO possible f6oraa way ont Of the
latter, ttoSs6f 4he model license
system be,sstssR to be better than
sgood loesIpption law it might take
tisee iisace-ze he Istter until the pro-
hibftion qgesEpn Is settled. and il
pfehibition s. .dssessed, the model