The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-03
Absolutely Certain No Order
Will Be Made Tomorrow
And Surprise May Be At
tempted by ''Wets-"
MAY REQUEST BOARD
TO TAKE ADJOURNMENT
Plan Proposed Whereby Delay
Until Close of Legislature
Might Be Accomplished
Little Probability.


Little Probability.
1t is said to be absolutely certain
that the board Of Wayne county COM
missioners At their first regular ses-
sion of the new year. which will be
held tomorrow. will not make an order
concerning the proposed local option
election. The voluminous document
which holds the signatures Of 1855
voters OF the county. who are praying
for a chance to settle the much-moot-
ed question at the polls. will be form
ally presented to the Board when 1t
convenes tomorrow morning but aside
from merely receiving it. there will be
no action taken during the day.
On Wednesday the board will be
again in session, but just what will or
will not be done il not certain at this
time. There is no question. II 10 a.
serted. that every one Of the three
members OF the board of commission
ers recognize the fact that the local
option law is mandatory and that with
the exception Of satisfying themsel-
yes that the petition now ON file is
legal in form and that the required
number of voters have signed 1t. there
is nothing for the board to do but to
order an election. 1t appears. hov
ever. that there are some citizens who
feel that because Of the possibility of
the coming session Of the general A.
sembly repeating the act. there might
be some delay brought about In order
ing the election and yet without in any
way violating either the spirit or tho
letter of the mandatory feature Of the
law
The local option statute in sub
stance says that whenever . petition
signed by twenty per cent Of the vot-
ers of any county is filed with the
county auditor. the commissioners
shall at the next regular session order
an election. 1t Is pointed out by those
persons who think 1t would be justifi-
able to go slow. that the statute gov
erning the duties of boards of COM
missioners declares that the terms OF
Fthe boards shall begin on the first
Monday in each month with no moro
sessions than are absolutely neces-
sary. According to legal opinion
which some of the citizens who favor
procrastination have sought, the
Wayne county board of commission
ers may. IL 1t deems proper. adjourn
at the end of the coming week until
Saturday. January 80 and at that ses-
sion take up the local option petition
and fix the date for the election.
/ II this were done. It would be posi-.
BILE for the date to be as late as March
2. which would be thirty days. the
maximum time that could lapse, af!
ter January 30. 1t is declared that
this late date would remove ali dang.
er of holding an election In the facs
of q repeal Of the option Law. ~ Il
may be concluded as certain that q
the general assembly does repeal the
act II will do 80 before March 2. which
will be within a week of the final "a.
journment of the law-making body.
1t might be stated with great -
gree Of certainty that II the commis-
sioners do not order an election next
week. the temperance league win
bring great pressure to hear. and m
appeal to public sentiment win be
made. So far n known none OF the
commissioners has been heard 10 ex-
press himself relative to the time fos
holding tho local option election.
What they will do rs q board II ask
ed to prolong the agony" cannot BE
predicted. but It is certain that II the
J class of citizens who favor q delay
exercises any activities, the temper
ance leaders also viii be stirring, too,
and will insist that there Il no good
reason why the day for holding tn
election should be set further of than
the first week In February.
One Of the commissioners said -
night, he believed such . propositioa
as . continuance by means Of an I'd.
journed session throughout January
might come about but It is very -
motely probable