The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-09-24
possessed BY that body, called upon


: pecially, are interested in having tht
the trains properly manned. Propo
sition No. 9, providing an increase il
the number of brakemen upon rail
road trains, is unnecessary and there
fore unjust to the railroads which
have to pay for such increased labor,
Any such unnecessary burden
placed upon the railroads will have
g to be borne, not by them, but by the
patrons of the roads, passengers and
: shippers. Services of brakemen are
not needed to couple and uncouple
cars, as automatic couplers are now
provided, and the law requires that
all trains shall be equipped with at
least IS per cent air, with large pen
alties for failure to observe such law.
Being so equipped one conductor and
one brakeman are alone necessary to
give the engineer signals for the
proper handling of air brakes, which
are controlled wholly from the engine.
A third brakeman would be practical
ly without duties to perform.
Some of the states have enacted
statutes requiring this increased force
but in certain of the states, such
legislation, although proposed, has
been defeated-defeated, too, since
the onerous character of other legis-
lation has well nigh brought the rail-
road companies into the bankrupt
court.
The champions of Proposition No.
10 give the following reasons WHY
the measure should be adopted:
|. This bill affects only counties hav-
ing towns of $500, or more, popula-
ton. 1t SO amends the present Local
Option Law as to enable such counties
to vote as unit on the dramshop
question, as counties having no such
town, as well as the city of St. Louis,
are now permitted to do. The meas
ure rests upon the unity of interest
and life of the town or city and the
county in which it lis situated. A
town or city is as inseparable from
its county as the hub is from its
wheel. The influence and conse-
quences, financial, political and social
OF the town saloon are shaped alike
by county and town. The patrons of
the saloon are from the whole county
the political influence thereof extends
to the whole county, the tax burden
imposed thereby rests upon the
whole county. Justice demands that
the people affected by the saloon
socially, politically and financially
should have voice in determining
its existence. The majority should
rule. Those who are taxed should
be represented.
Opposing Argument
The opponents of Proposition No.
10 give the following reasons why
his measure should be voted down:
The county unit liquor local option
aw is violative of the principle of
Democracy in that it denies to the
communities the right of
ocai self.government in fixing their
police regulations. 4s'e tlr
1t is opposed to the spirit, if not the
etter, OF our State Constitution, in
hat tine regulation of police affairs is
ccorded to each political sub.divis-
on OF the State; and counties, munic-
pal townships and municipal corpor-
tons are each given separate and
istinct powers in the regulation and
ontrol of their domestic affairs, some
lights being in common and others
ifferent, as the necessity of the po-
teal subdivision might require.
1t is no more RICH. to permit the
ounty of Pettis (for instance) to have
voice in the regulation of the munic-
'al affairs Of Sedalia, than it is to per-
lit the City OF St. Louis and the State
5 a whole to participate in an cleo
on to determine whether the Outly-
lg counties shall be wet" or dry.
he strong reason why this ought
ot to be done is that each localityIS,
lould determine the matter for itself. /
ne locality may be composed almost
sclusively of Germans, who as a
lie are opposed to prohibition in any
'rm and who know how to use in
beverages; another com.
unity may be all of denomination,
: nationality, who favors prohibition
I'd who do not know how to use in
beverages, and they might
those in the German COM
unity. Any rule which would per-
it this majority to inflict and impose
BON respectable minority its ideas
BON moral questions, and police af-
irs, is not only undemocratic but in
olation of-the true principle of our
,vernment.
u