The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-04-29
THINK DEAN
LAW A JOKE
TEMPERANCE FORCES AND IL
oUoR INTERESTS UNITED IN
OPINION STATUTE is USELESS
INDEPENDENT BARS

Superintendent Marsh of Anti-SaIoon
League Believes Measure a Brew
ers' Scheme to Get Control of Them
Dealers Say They Cannot Tell
Ages of All Patrons--A Sleeper"
"Wets' and "drys'' alike in Canton
are inclined to regard the Dean saloon
regulation law as something of a Joke.
That the law will have no material eff,
feet upon the liquor traffic is the opin-
ion of representatives of both sides.
Saloonkeepers are inclined TO laugh al
being compelled to be judges of char
acter and age, while the Anti-Saloon
workers think that the passage of the
law is merely an effort on the part OF
the wet forces to hoodwink the peo-
pie into believing that they are going
to try to abate some of the objection
able features of the liquor traffic.
William V. Marsh, superintendent of
the Canton district of the Ohio Anti
Saloon League, brands the Dean law
as farce" and as covert attempt
on the part of the brewers to gain con-
trolof all independent bars" He said
After they get control of the inde-
pendent dispensers they will attempt
70 regulate the saloons in accordance
with their own standard of righteous
ness. The idea of a saloonkeeper
standing up and confessing that he
had sold to minors, or that he had al
lowed gambling, or that he permitted
the presence of improper women in his
establishment is ridiculous And il
the liquor interests think they can
prevent prohibition by regulating the
saloon, they are going to get fooled"
Copies Of the law have been pasted
in conspicuous places in nearly al
Canton saloons and the saloon keep
ers for the most part have dispensed
with the gambling devices, such al
slot and dice machines which were
so common.
A prominent saloon keeper said
The law states that at the end of th'
year, we must swear that we hav,
not sold to minors or to intoxicated
persons. How am / to know when |
patron is not of age? We can't re
quire people to present birth Ger
tificate whenever they ask for drink
Opinions as to what really is intoxi
cation are somewhat varied In fac
think that the whole law is prett.
much of joke"
That the Dean law contains
sleeper which is especially intended
to protect saloons in the downtown, o
business district has been discovered
The sleeper is found in a SUP
| Elementary provision following para
graph so of the bill which provides
that on complaint of five taxpayer
TO the prosecuting attorney, any sa
loon which is conducted in a disrel
utable manner shall be abated."
Near the close of the bill is foun,
the sleeper" This provision make
the qualification that every taxpaye
who signs the complaint shall hav
resided within 1000 feet of the plac
complained of for one year prior t
| the complaint.
At first glance, this provision az
pears harmless enough, but car
vass Of the taxpayers who reside /
the down town district who woul
willingly sign such a complaint, II
veals the fact that practically ever
saloon in the business district is pr
tected.
Resident taxpayers in the dow
town district are few and far b,
tween, the saloonkeepers say. Thos
who do reside down town are nC
likely to sign any complaints againi
saloons.
The effect OF the bill, the liquC
dealers say, will be to protect the ma
who is trying 10 conduct bushes
as near legitimate lines as possible