The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-05-23

| because Iney saw Il chance 10 VIII NO
one can tell where this class will go.
| They are apt TO follow the majority"
| The governor says he incerely hopes
that the tariff bill which passed the
house of representatives. will go
through the United States senate with
out amendment. The farmers OF
Michigan will find out that II will not
effect the price of sugar beets and
the people in general will learn that
scientific tariff revision is not
project 10 be approached with fear
and trembling" said the governor.
Michigan brewers are fortifying
themselves for a fight against state
wide prohibition. which they believe is
| immient and may come within the
next two years. The first steps to
throw out strong line OF defense
were taken at an executive session OF
| the Country Brewers association held
at the Hotel Downey.
| An attempt was made TO preserve
| the utmost secrecy regarding the
Lansing meeting. The representatives
| from Grand Rapids, Jackson, Saginaw,
Bay City, Kalamazoo and several other
cities of the state came 10 the city
| quietly and were closeted for several
hours in the Hotel Downey, and it Is
said that plans for a defensive cam
paign were discussed at considerable
| length.
None of the Detroit breweries were
represented, as it is claimed that there
is bitter fued existing between the
| beer manufacturers of the metropolis
and those who supply the "suds" in
the smaller cities of the state. Never
| the less. il is claimed that the Wayne
| county brewers and the Country Brew
ers' association will work together for
common good when the time comes
for the big fight.
1t is not believed by the brewers
that it will be possible for the temper
ance advocates to secure two-thirds
vote of both the house and senate,
which is necessary to submit any
constitutional amendment 10 the vote
of the people, but they realize that
the last legislature placed in the
hands of the people the initiative and
referendum and from their standpoint
they fully appreciate the gravity OF
this situation
When the initiative and referendum
were under discussion during the last
session of the legislature, it was
claimed that state wide prohibition
would be the first proposition to be
fought out under the new section to
the constitution, and the brewers be-
lieve the fight is coming much sooner
than they anticipated. They believe
that 1t will be an easy proposition for
the "drys" to secure enough signers
to their petitions to have a state wide
prohibition amendment submitted to
the people and they are preparing to
meet the issue.
However, II is limited that the brew
ers are preparing to utilize the initia-
tive and referendum to their own ad-
vantage. Although they appreciate the
fact that the prohibitionlsts would give
them a hard battle, they are appar-
emily confident that the vote in the
various cities and the foreign element
in the upper peninsula is sufficiently
large to prevent the dry advocates
from putting the salons and breweries
out of business. Therefore If state
wide prohibition is attempted, it is
said that the liquor men will endeav-
or TO use the initiative and referen-
dunn to repeal the local option law
and wipe out every inch of dry terri
tory in the state.
1t was pointed out at the beginning
of the last session of the legislature
that this might be attempted in case
the lawmakers submitted the initiat-
i've and referendum and they we're
approved by the people. Although the
brewers are making no open threats
that this will be attempted, it is I'M
derstood that the subject has been
discussed During the session one
member stated that the large wet
vote in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Sagi-
nav. Bay City, Lansing and other
principal cities of the state, would be
sufficient TO accomplish this result IL
the liquor men started about it in
systematic campaign.
Rep. Weidenfeller OF Van Buren,
county, who was in Lansing for the
final adjournment of the legislature,
has evolved scheme that will ena-
BILE the state to pay the expenses OF
the Michigan veterans who attend the
Gettysburg reunion, without increas-
ing the appropriation or calling upon
the citizens of the state for private
subscriptions.
Weidenfeller has ben commissioned
by Gov. Ferris to interview the heads
of the various railroads TO determine
whether or not they will transport all
the veterans to Gettysburg who are