Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-04-06

State on the local option problem. This
was Frank NJ. Waring. His song was
called, I'D Like TO Ask"
Then Choirmaster Jones and his choil
injected another thriller. The pianist
nodded to the band leader-and the
great audience sang Pennsylvania s
dreds of people just couldn't make
! their feet behave.
The tune was "Tipperary!"
O'Ncirs keynote
Chairman O'Neil sounded a rousing
Keynote of the monster gathering
when he declared in presenting DR.
isaac Sharpless, president of Haver-
ford, as permanent chairman, said:
I'VE are making history. Pennsylva-
MIA isn't corrupt. 1t is just as pure as
any State in the Union.
Local option is not prohibition. 1t
is the will of the people. And no man
in public life is big enough to stand
against the will of the people,
In response to DR.. Sharpless' call
for the consideration of business, EX-
Speaker George e. Alter, of the House
OF Representatives, suggested the ap-
pointmnt of a committee of three to
act on resolutions. Ex-Speaker Alter,
DR.. George S. Shelton, Pittsburgh, and
Louis ]. Kolb. of Philadelphia, were
named on the committee.
kilograms Read
Cheers that set the flags on the au-
ditorium rafters dancing, rang through
the hall when several kilograms from
absentees were read:
One was from Samuel E. Gill, who
represented 100000 Sunday Shcool
workers in Pennsylvania. He regretted
his inability TO attend but declared
n q n of he 70 do
school committee, he endorsed Penn
sylVanias s move to say whether or not
its people should decide the liquor
problem.
Thcn-therc was this from 'BiIy"
Sunday:
Impossible to be with YOU.
Heartily approve of your great move
mcnt.''
Mr.. Farr Speaks
The first speaker was ex-Congress-
man John e. Farr, Scranton. He got
rounds and rounds of applause when
he declared that 'he who votes
against local option, strikes a blow at
liberty itself"
Ringing Resolutions
EX-Congressman Henry. w. Temple
of Washington, has just begun his talk
when Chairman Alter, amid cheers,
reported for the resolutions commit
tee. The windows ratified with the
roaring AYE" that adopted the resolu-
tions. They follow:
Whereas. the sale of intoxi- .
eating liquors has produced most
serious and vital problems, and
as these become more fully ap-
preciated the people are justly
claiming the right to more di-
rect part in deciding the question
whether such sale shall be licensed
in their respective communities;
And whereas, in the absence of
any method by which the voters
in the several counties may law
fully and directly pass upon the
question of license or no license,
they are attempting to determine
this important question through
the election of judges expressly or
impliedly committed to the grant
ing or the refusal of licenses.
through which method a system
of county local option is in effect,
operative in a large and growing
number of the counties of the
State;
And whereas. the election of
judges upon any issues other than
judicial ability, fairness and in
tegrity, and particularly upon an
issue relating to the manner in
which they will decide cases to be
heard in court, is a prostitution
of the most sacred office in the
gift of the people, the result of
which is a great weakening of
that confidence in the judiciary
so essential to the preservation of
our institutions;
And whereas, the Governor of
the Commonwealth. elected under
an express pledge to favor a
county local option law, is faith
fully adhering to that pledge, the
1AV NaVNaf f.~V, 80 til l. 1.
his inaugural address, wherein he
said: Let this vexed question be
taken from partisan control and
given directly to the people. They
Will solve 1t better than we can
The selection of judges in the sew
eral districts should no longer hinge
upon this question. 1t has al
ready worked harm to the
judiciary and has lessened the re-
gard of our people for the integ-
rity and capacity of the final legal
guardians of the peoples sacred
rights. 1t is a dominant issue in
the public mind. The party that
has given this great state its in
dustrial adm educational develop
ment has now the sacred oppor-
tunity of giving the state a great
moral uplift. I trust we shall not
fail the people in this issue"
And whereas. this principle of
home rule has been applied sue
cessfully in a majority of. the
states of the Union and the right
to its exercise should no longer
be denied the people of Pennsyl-
vania;
Resolved. That feeling it our
bounden duty to support the Gov
ernor and high privilege to en-
list under his courageous leader
ship in this righteous cause, we,
the men of this conference, gath
cred from every part of Pennsyl-
vania- do hereby pledge ourselves
to aid. by all fair and honorable
means. the effort to secure for our
Commonwealth county local op-
ton law. to the end that the
courts may be freed from the
imminent peril by which they are
now threatened and the people of
the counties given the local con-
troll to which they are fairly and
justly entitled:
Resolved. That in our judg-
ment said legislation should be