Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-01-14
seventh.-They should possess a fair

Seyenth.-They should possess a fair
knowledge of the election laws.
They should also have a fixed tenure
for, say, five years. or. what would be
still better. they should hold office
during good behavior.
No person should be appointed as an
election officer until he has passed an
examination in at least the respects
above indicated, and opportunity should
be given to any person to go into the
examination. Each applicant should
declare when he appears for examina-
ton to what party he belongs and pre-
sent with his application for examina-
ton his Endorsements as to moral
character.
Only residence in the county should
be required for eligibility to become
election officers in any district in a
county.
The examination for election officers
might be put in the hands of a COM
mon pleas judge of the respective
counties of the state.
Voting Machines.
There Is an almost universal de-
mand for the di~scontinuance of the
voting machine. The law permitting
its use should be repealed. and the ma
chimes owned by the state should be
sold.
If the law for voting machines Is to
remain 1t should be so amended that
a machine could not be placed in any
district except upon a petition signed
by a majority of the voters of such
district who voted at the last election
before the presentation of the petition
for the placing of the machine.
License and Excise.
Prohibition is not practical. 1t does
not prohibit III will not until a
stronger and better public sentiment
shall obtain. The sentiment for local
option in the election just passed
showed much growth in some commu
mites. That sentiment, however, is
probably not of sufficient force to Sc
cure legislation for u submission of
the question of license or no license to
the people. Yet it is evident that the
public demand for the enforcement of
existing laws and for the enactment
of others looking to a better regulation
of the sale of intoxicating liquors is
quite universal.
The license fees in most places in
this state are not high enough.
The following suggestions made in
my last annual message for the amend
ment of the excise laws are here re-
peated-namely:
First.-The minimum icense fee
should be fixed on the basis of the
population of the local municipalities,
provided that in no case should 1t be
less in any municipality than that at
which licenses are now granted in
such municipality, and each applica-
ton for a license should be advertised
once for at least ten days before ac-
ton is taken thereon that objection
may be made thereto and heard.
Second.-The number of licensed
plac@ allowed should be limited to
not exceeding n for at least each
500 people, provided that no greater
number of licenses should be granted
in any place, where the present per-
cenfags rs greater ttnm TINS, hHn tire
present licensed places bear to the
n nnlation.
= aird.-A simple and definite form
of procedure to revoke a license for
the violation of the law with a pro
visionothat a license shall be ipso facto
revoked on conviction of any crime or
on "a plea of guilty or non vult.
Fourth.-No license should be grant
ed to any person not a native or nat
uralized citizen of the United States.
Fifth.-No license should be granted
to a person who has been convicted of
any crime which would disfranchise
him under our state constitution.
Sixth.-All right to transfer a license
from one place to another should be
prohibited.
Seyenth.-All licensed places should
be closed from u o'clock midnight I'M
til 6 a. M.
Law Enforcement-Power of Removal.
In one of the counties of this state
the laws as to excise matters are open
ly and VIGOROUSLY violated and a di-
rect refusal to enforce them asserted.
That such conditions exist Is shock
ing to the conscience and patriotism
of ali right thinking citizens. Yet I'M
der existing law there is apparently
no remedy. The state seems power
less. Local officials are free from re-
moval by the governor or courts, even
for an open declaration that they will
not enforce the law. Nor is there any
power of impeachment of a local mu-
nicipal official.
The s~acredness of the Sabbath, the
purity of the ballot. the virtue of wo-
man, the protection of life itself, all
seem inconsequential when weighed
in the scale against the illicit sale of
liquors.
The legislature must assume respon-
sibility for the further continuance of
the conditions here described. 1t can
prevent it by a simple statute confer
ring the power of removal upon either
the governor or the courts.