The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-02-26
HOUSE DEFEATS
LOCAL OPTION
Goes Down on Second Raa1ing
by Vote Of a. to Ill
LEGISLATORS HOT DEBATE
Defenders Of Measure Pleaded For
Home Rule, While Opponents Said
Courts Could Be Depended Upon to
Regulate Sale of Liquor.

Home Rule, While Opponents Said
Courts Could Be Depended Upon to
Regulate Sale of Liquor.
Harrisburg, Pa, Feb. 26-The Rock
we'll local o2tion bill was defeated IN
the house on second reading by voc
OF 81 ayes to 121 noes. PC
The bill provided for municipalities
of 10000 or more and counties exclu
sive of such municipalities being the
voting units.
1t is unusual for the legislature tc
take final action on bill on second
reading, which ordinarily is the
amending stage, but the liquor inter
csts, it was asserted, had marked The
Rockwell act for defeat on second
reading and thus stirred the fight.
Representative Rockwell defended
his measure and asserted that there
was small ground for the assertion
by it's opponents that it was class leg
islation. He said the supreme court
had recognized the right of the legisla
ture to classify districts, as was done
under the school code.
He pleaded for the home rule prin
ciple, declaring that majority in any
community has the right to pass upon
the liquor question. He said his plan
was merely step in the direction OF
the referendum, growing in strength
throughout the country. He added
that there were only five states with
- o. 1t
ure.
Representative Stein, of Pittsburgh,
declared the courts could be depended
upon to regulate the selling of liquor
in Pennsylvania and that every COM
munity was adequately protected by
the courts against abuse growing out
of the sale of intoxicants.
He characterized the supporters OF
the Rockwell measure as group OF
paid agtators" DESTROYS of injecting
the liquor question into politics for
their own selfish purposes.
Instead of liking up time with this
measure" said Stein, this house
should be busy with the consideration
of the larger questions that are before
it, the enactment of workmen's com.
pensation act, consideration of a pub
lie utilities bill and like measures de-.
manded by the people"
The Pittsburgher "defed" the sup.
porters of the Rockwell bill to dispue
his assertion that not one-half of one
per cent of the 100000 people of the
state could be put down in the habit.
ual drunkard class.
1.-THE effect of such a measure" de-
clared Stein, would be to play the de-
cent people of the STATE into the hands
of the corrupt police"
Samuel B. Scott, of Philadelphia,
said it was for the best Interests of
liquor sellers to accept some such
measure as the Rockwell act, as it
might forestall statewide prohibition.
Representative McAllister, of West
moreland, asscrter that the experience
Of communities in which measures
similar to the one under consideration
had been tried out showed that at.
tempts to enforce temperance by stat.
ute increased the consumption of in.
toxicating liquors.
Representative Claycomb, OF Blair |
county, quoted President Taft, Car. |
dinal Gibbons and William Jennings
Bryan as favorable to local option. He
replied to the taunts of previous
speakers regarding the alleged fail
ure of prohibition in Maine to pro.
hibit as unwarranted.
1T is doubtless true" observed Mr..
Claycomb, that the law against the
sale of liquor in Maine has been and
10 now violated, but l desire to call
the attention of the house that Maine
is, per capita, the richest state in the
Union.
1.-THE money on deposit in the saw
ings banks of Maine is five times as
great per capita as in Illinois, and
even seven times as great as the de-
posts, per person is, in the states Of
Pennsylvania and Ohio"