The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-05-16

on the table. Now in the light of this
conduct on the part of Senator Speicher
let up return to his Oakland Local OPP
ton bill which provided that the corpor-
ate town of Oakland should have the
right to decide by ballot whether they
want the saloon or not. Mr.. Robinson
declares that Senator Speicher urged
the passage of this bill ''In order that
whatever might happen to the State
wide bill he would still be able to give
the wet territory of his County the PRIV
ileges they would have otherwise have
lost"
1t looks beautiful, does it not? Yes,
put in that way it looks beautiful but
put in the light Of Senator Speicher' s
record and the facts in the case it stinks.
We have looked at the record. What
are the facts in the case? It is well
known that IN the election in Oakland
for several years where the question of
temperance was involved the "wets"
have had the majority. | have in mind
now two or three instances where this
was strikingly true, and it seems appar-
ent to those who know conditions here
that a vote OH this question confined to
the town OF Oakland would mean defeat
to the temperance people. Now Sena-
tor Speicher either knew this
state of affairs or he did not
know it. If ne did know it his con-
duct was despicable, if did not know the
situation here he should have come to
those living here and advised with them.
| could have told him at once that his
bill was no good; that it would not give
relief to Oakland. This is what meant /.
by saying that he should not have intro /
duced the bill without consulting Oak |
land people. | admit that | felt out /
ragged by such conduct on the part of the ,
men who had played so false to all our !
hopes and expectations for temperance I
legislation against his signed pledge. | |
did oppose his bill; | could not conscien-
tiously do otherwise. If it were to do .
over again would oppose his bill. The .
only way to make Oakland dry is to have .
a countrywide local option vote. What
the good people of Garrett county want
as understand it is chance for a coun-
ty-wide vote as to whether their county
seat shall be dry or not. Senator
Speicher must haye known that and if
he did he could have offered bill strik-
ing out the exemption from the splen-
did county measure which is now in
force throughout the rest of the county.
This is exactly what the ''wets" did
not want done. This is exactly what
Senator Speicher did not do. If the
Senator really wanted Oakland and his
own home town to go dry he really
ought to have come in out of the wet. p"
Early in the season | had proposed
to Senator Speicher that | should
offer a bill to repeal the exemption of
Oakland from the county law, but he
promptly assured me that he would not
let it go through the Senate on the
ground that it was not fair to force the
saloons out of Oakland by vote of the
county. In the light of Senator
Speicher's record and the facts in the
case this Oakland bill does not look so
beautiful. 1t looks like dirty insult
ing sop to his temperance constituents
who had reason to suppose he had at
least manhood enough to keep his signed .
pledge. The whole action looks like a
dastardly reflection on the intelligence .
of his constituents.
have explained my conduct as plain
ly as know how. regret, indeed, the .
defeat of our Local Option bill. | !
deeply regret that there is no redress .
for Oakland. regret that Mr.. Robin /
son has singled me out for his attack .
and thus brought me under necessity of |
replying. / regret that in order to .
show the ground of my conduct | have
been obliged to call attention 10 Sena- /.
tor Speicher's conduct as it has i'm /
pressed me. | have no personal feel /.
ing OF unklndness for him. | cannot |
but feel profound regret that my state /
and county should have been deprived .
of a Local Option law by the vote Of a /
SpDo tor from Garrett county