Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-19
VOTERS IN HIS WARD
TO DECIDE ROWELL'S
LOCAL OPTION STAND
State Representative From
10Th District Mails Cards
to Constituents, Asking
How He Shall Cast Bal
lot at Harrisburg.

There is one man at least In the Repuh-
lcan ation-controlled Philadelphia
delegation to the state House of Repre-
sentatives who really represents his con-
stituents. He Is Clarence a. Rowell, OF
the 18th District. who has left his vote
| on the local option bill to be decided
| through a referendum OF the voters OF
| the 2sth ward
Representative Rowcl, who is a fol-
lower OF x-postmaster Thomas 3. Smith,
is the only one Of the 2O7 members OF the
House Of Representatives who has SUBJ
mtted his vote on the Brumbaugh-Will
Jams local option bill to a referendum of
the voters Of his district.
He was counted upon as n sure wet
until two weeks ago, when he let it be
known that he was undecided. lie has
leaned toward local option. however, from |
the start of the Governors fight for the |
passage of the bill, but the fact that he |
was elected in a desirct that was GER |
tainly a stronghold Of the "wets' last |
November has kept him "on the fence
So he Is leaving it to his constituents
TO decide how he shall vote when the
local option bill comes up for final pass
aCe by the House on Wednesday Of next |
week. lie has distributed 10000 postal !
cards and circulars to the voters of the
2Sth Ward aud upon their replies to him
during the next two or three days de-
pends his vote.
The cards and his letters were sent out
on Thursday and yesterday. More than
400 replies have already been received,
and all but % of those who have an
swered his circular have urged him to
vote for the bill.
Representative Rowells referendum Is
ia n "a o.
cal optonists.
His circular follows:
Having been elected as your Repre-
sentative to the General Assembly, |
want to ascertain your wishes with
respect to my course Of action on the
local option bill. as the question Of
local option has provoked wide dis
cussion among the people of the state
(and entire country. and the qucs-
tion of its passage through the House
will very shortly compel action for or
against, and realizing my RESPONSE
bility to my constituents, | earnestly
ask for an expression of your wishes
on this important measure inClOse
a postcard addressed to myself. If you
wish me to vote for local option please
put penny stamp on the card and
mail same to me promptly, and ! shall
be governed by the demands of the ,
majority, irrespective of my personal
feeling on the subject, as | know that
it Is my duty to serve the will of
tho majority. Your interest in local 4
option will call for a reply, so stat ,,
ing, otherwise l am to assume that
you are not in favor of same. ,
The purpose OF the present local op- !
tion bill is to give the voters of each !
county an opportunity to say once in
three years, upon the petition of %
per cent. of said voters, whether or
not the county shall license saloons
sale n liuuOrg docs uOt
mean prohibition except as the major
ity so wills it. | mention this fact
because | find that many people are
under the impression that the passage
of the local option measure means the
immediate closing of all saloons in
Philadelphia. {
Please give this your careful and I
prompt attention. Sincerely yours,
CLARENCE y. ROWELL. t
These circulars have been placed IN
every home in the 2Sth Ward. TO make
certain, however, that every voter in the
ward who favOrs local option is reached
he has sent personal letters to every
minister in the ward. asking that public I
announcements of the referendum be {
made at all services in the churches in s
the 2Sth Ward tomorrow.
Representative Rowcl received ma
jority of 1900 of the $3.50 votes that were
cast i'm the 2Sth Ward last November
He refused all during the campaign to :
declare his stand in regard to local up-
ton
II did not know what kind of a local
option bill would be presented" he said
today. "One that would be drastic and
totally undesirable might have been in
troduced, and. had / declared in favor OF
local option during the campaign, l would
have been bound to vote for it.
Il realize that my district was wet
last November, but since then local Op-
ton sentiment has been growing here
BILLY Sundays campaign helped, and
there is the worldwide agitation against
liquor that is also having its effect"
Representative Rowel will make known
his final attitude on the local option
question before the vote on the bill is
taken. The first count in the referendum
will he made before he takes the train
for Harrisburg on Monday afternoon
Postal cards that are received after that
will be forwarded to him in Harrisburg
and last-minute expressions of sentiment
will also be sent TO him.