Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-20
AT oTTUMWA THE REPUTATION
or MEN CIRCULATING SALOON
PETITIONS is TESTED.
LAW PROVIDES WITNESSES
MUST BE REPUTABLE PERSONS
Names Can Be Stricken From Consent
if Secured by Men Who Are Noe
Reputable" and the Records OF Men
Who Circulate Petitions May Have to
Stand Search Of Lawyers in Court.

There are going to be some sensa-
tional disclosures made when the sa-
loon petition IS filed and the reputa-
tons OF those circulating the petitions
are put TO the test in open trial as
provided by statute TO determine
whether they are reputable citizens
or not. At OItuu1wa yesterday the
characters OF W. V. S0vers and John
Erbacher, two Ottulnwa saloon men,
and T. J. Miller were assailed in the
contest controversy IN the district
court IN an effort TO throw out the
names which they had witnessed Sec
ton 2452 of The code provides that
Every such statement OF general con-
sent shall be accompanied by the az
f1dayit Of some reputable person, show
ing that said person personally wit
messed the signing OF each name ap-
pearing thereon" Many forge-ies of
signatures have been practiced in other
consent petition contests and the in
tent OF the statute is to have every
signature witnessed by some person so
reputable" that he would not report
a signature wrongfullT.
SupposinS that a list Of names Is
filed with our saloon consent which
were secured and witnessed by q sa-
loon keeper or e-nploye who has been
indicted. Is he a reputable person
under the law" InjunCtonS have been
secured against more than forty saloon
employees or owners, many OF whom
have been circulating petitions.
Suppose that at Otcu-nwa or in Mar
shalltow-l two business men have beer
circulating saloon petitions and have
been drunk repeatedly in times past
Suppose they make affidavit to the
petitions they have circulated will they
qualify as reputable persons when
the state law has already made drunk
ennass sufficient cause for impeach-
meut OF mayors and sheriffs?
Suppose a man witnesses a saloon
petition whose record when attacked
by the lawyers might develop possibly
that he had been a professional gac1b-
Ter or perhaps convicted and sent to
jail for stealing or roboing would he
qualify as a reputable person?
It Is known that a man has circu-
lated a petition who has been reported
20 have been drunk and beaten his
wife. When this is proved in court
will he qualify as a reputable" person
and will the names he secured stand
as legally witnessed?
There may DE wide latitude allowed
by the courts as to what offsnses G.
man can commit and still be "-eput-
able" person. but there are bound 20 be
some sensational disclosures Of start
ling character when the lawyers go
after the ~-eputstions'' OF the men who
circulated and witnessed petitions as
they have done in Ottunwa to get
names stricken from the petition OF
consent. jail records, police courts and
district court records even Of the dim
past will be brought into review 70
the great establishment Of the immedi-
ate families Of many a man who puts
himself to open test as a "reputa BILE"
person by making an affidavit 10 a
saloon petition.
Surprise For Sisners, Too.
Many signer 70 the saloon petition
who has been cajoled into signing by
being told that no one would ever
know It, IS booked for some surprise
and embarrassment, too. The law pro-
vides that the signatures must be kept
open to the public. The first people TO
see them will be the committees Of the
anti-saloon people. Every name viii
pc CCpIS0 anu lLSI thoroughly TAXED
over and discussed in the open meet
ings OF several hundred workers Then
committees will go TO work to canvas.
for Withdrawals. II the wives, moth
ers, relatives. friends and employers
do not discover that mans name IS
on a saloon petition 4: will be a might,
rare case. Without Intending to en-
barrass any one with publicity the
work OF attacking names on technical
defects in signatures and Of canvassing
for Withdrawals is bound to produce
wide publicity Of every signature. The
man who signs had better make up
his mind that the world will know It
and the man who has signed under
promise Of secrecy had better go quiet
" to the ants and sign a withdrawal
before his name is dragged into review
before the large committees.