The Springdale news., 1914-01-02
SALOONS CLOSED
Arkansas Dry First Time in His
 tory of State.

Fort Smith. Ark. December 27.- Saloons will go out of business in Arkansas at midnight Wednesday, In some cities the retirement will only be temporary. while in others the retirement will be permanent. Never before in the history of Ark ansas has the state been without saloons Making Arkansas dry k due to the Going law, one of the most drastic antiliquor measures that ever survived long enough 10 become law. No state in the Un- ion has any antiliquor law That riv- als the Going act The Going law was enacted by the last legislature immediately after the state had voted strongly against statewide pro hibition. defeat that was general ly beiieyede to have effected blow to the dry element that would re- suit in the liquor interests being free from interruption for long time to one.
 The Going law, named after it's author. State senator Going pro vides that before liquor license can be issued petition bearing ma jority of signatures of the white adult citizens of the community must be approved by the county judge. The law does not repeal prohibition where it Is already in effect It places The burden of proof entirely upon the liquor in terests so far a. proving their peti- tions contain majority of legal signatures The act is so differ q. from any statute on the law books Of the state that there are no preoedents to follow. II deves- ops an endless chain of compliea- tions and possibilities that can only be emoYed by a Supreme Court de ciaion So numerous are the quest ions involved -thatit is expeeted=it will be ears before the Supreme Courf 3in be able to make a full iatespres ation oi all disputed points
 The ast also provide that fhe liquor interests must publish the pe- titions and the signature their o3n expense al lsast ten days be fore the5 are fled with the county judge Whether CT not signer can Withdraw his signature is a much disputed matter. In Fort Smith, where the liquor interests published the fist petitions in th state, tAe Executive Committee of the Liquor Lea eF-' Association re fused fe strike oat more than lo04 sigaatufes upon tEe demands of lie Aeti-saloon League. to wHom the siznars applied have their name= taken from the petitions
 The attorney general has ruled that the petitions can not be pub Ifshed until January |, when the law be ones effective, but attorneys for lotal liquor dealers dispute this point Publication Of the petitions nere cost in the neighborhood of &14o00 it is said
 An effort to have the law de la ed unconstitutional on the ground, that it violated fhe constitution of tA# United state Pecause il denied the negro the right to have a voice iu me matter. proved failure in the Supreme Court An attempt to have tHe bill referred 10 he peo- pie under the initiative and refe- rendum mel with another defeat in the same oaurt The law has not been attacked in the Federal oufts.
 It will require weeks and per haps months before the county judg- eg will De able 10 make a decision on the petitions, the saloons must fies that no license can be issued until the court passes favofably up' oon the petitions, the sal oons must close until such decision is render ed. Although the prohibition fore es have been very active in their fight to have citizens refrain from signing petitions for licensed sa- loong the real battle will not come until the petitions are placed on trial