The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-05-30
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Report of Anti-Saloon League Of
naryland on the Attitude of the
Senator and Delegates from Gar
ret County.

To the Editor of The Republican:
Senator Harvey J. Speicher, Republi-
can, whose term expires this time, be-
trayed his constituents. He attempted
to make out that he had never made any
promise to support the local option bill,
but the League received assurance from
representatives of his party that he had
given satisfactory pledges to his own
people and the League endorsed him as
having made a satisfactory response
and he was elected with that endorse
ment and is now estopped from denying
the statements which he ratified by his
silence.
On the Thursday before the close of
the session in the presence of two wit
nesses the Superintendent of the League
confronted Senator Spelcher with the
fact that the liquor men had been after
him that day, which he admitted III the
presence of the same witnesses. The
Superintendent has challenged him to a
Joint discussion in his home county and
will undertake to prove to his people
that the liquor interest got him, and
further, that by his action, in view of
the assurance which he gave, he has
proved himself to be unworthy to repre-
sent the people of his county. His
temperance record in the previous ses-
sion aggravates his offense in this. He
claims to have been willing to support
the original bill, but the bill which he
helped to kill by voting for dilatory tao
tics and by his vote to further amend it,
was a meritorious bill, still statewide
in its scope, which would have given
Garrett county ldentically what would
have been provided by the statewide
measure, and as the measure was finally
defeated by only one vote. he is respon-
sible for robblng the people of his coun.
" of the chance to clean the saloons
out of the entire county.
Senator Speicher, for the sole purpose,
we believe, of attempting to fool the
people of his county, introduced a bill
designed to allow the town OF Oakland
TO vote, as that town is now exempted
from the operation of the county law
which is substantially identical with the
proposed state bill At this writing the
League is unable to tell Just what be-
came of this little measure because of
the riotous confusion incident to the
closing of a session of the legislature,
out in the Judgment of the League this
bill was liquor trick pure and simple
because, according to the Leagues in
formation there is no registration in the
town of Oakland alone, but the town is
part of district which contains all the
voters for several miles around and it
might be possible on wet" and dry"
vote to run in hundred or more wet"
voters who did not belong in the town
on account of the inability to directly
establish their residence by the regis
tration books.
If Senator Speicher had been honest
in his desire to give relief to the people
of his county in the from of local legis-
lation he would have introduced meas
Oakland from the splendid county
measure which is now in force through
out all the rest of Garrett county. This
would then have safeguarded the Oak
land situation and would have permitted
a vote in the entire county and would
have provided sufficient enforcement
regulations.
Messrs. Z. A. Weimer, John A. Long
and Samuel Lawton, Republicans, voted
right on every roll call involving the
original bill. Mr.. Weimer not only
voted in favor of the statewide bill on
every roll call but also voted to pass
the amended House bill which was at
that time the only local option legisla-
ton that had any chance of passing and
would have given Garrett county COM
plete relief. Messrs. John A. Long and
Samuel Lawton voted against all amend
ments to the state wide bill up to the
time the House amendment passed, and
voted against the passage of the amend
ed bill being the only supporters of the
original bill who did so.
The above is from the American
Issue of April -, 1912, and speaks for
itself. Yours truly,
E. A. WIENER.