The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-09-10
BLIGHT
Confusion and Scandal Mark
Pathway of Willis
Noted Editor Says he Is the First
Cousin of Lightning Bug
Headlight Behind.
TOttawa Sentinel. ]

The good Republican governor of
Ohio is first cousin to the lightning
bug. He has his headlight on be-
hind The new liquor license law
has been discovered to be joke. In
fact republican leaders say it is silly.
There is a movement on foot to have
a referendum on this loose and poor
ly written law. Judge Keer, of jeff
erson county, is leading the ight for
a referendum. The Judge is an old
time stand-pat republican. Yet Gov
ernor Willis wants the public to be-
lieve that it is the cussed Democrats
who are trying to get referendum
and defeat his pet booze law. Many
persons believe that the governor
knows that the law is unworkable
and a farce and that he secretly
hopes that there will be referen-
dunn. The best thing that could hap
pen to save the governor and his par
ty from being the laughing stock of
the state would be to have the peop-
lie vote and defeat the fool law. The
same was true OF the Agricultural
Ripper law. The Democrats refused
to take the matter up as a party for
a referendum vote. The law went
into effect. The result is confusion
scandal, extravaganza, and a blight
upon the agricultural work of the
state. The same will be true, only
more so of the new liquor license
law.
Willis is trying to be boss. He
does not disguise the fact. Yet it
was he who accused Cox of being a
boss. Willis has given orders that
republicans shall not sign the refer
endum petitions on the license bill.
Yet big newspapers say that big men
in the republican party are praying
that the law shall be defeated. They
say the worst thing that can happen
to the party is to have the fool law
go into effect. This was true with
the agricultural ripper law. 1t was
the worst thing for the republicans
and the best thing for the democrats
so far as the next election is concern
ed. 1t has created a lot of new Off
Ct9 anu HudlI Ielo III Jue epuDllCdu
party.
1t is a sad and sorry day when
governor of Ohio will openly and
brazenly give orders to public Off
cials that they must take orders from
him. That they must lay aside their
honor and conscience and not have
any opinion as to whether a law is
right or not That they must agree
with him, their boss. Cox was a
child compared with this bully. ItI
is still more disgusting spectacle
in boss and machine politics to have
a governor openly accused of being
hypocrit, which is the case at the
present time.
Willis says the Democrats want
the law defeated Yet a republican
is leading the fight against it. Willis
says he wants the law to go into eff
feet. Yet the leaders in his own par
ty are against it, and the city papers
indicate that secretly Willis wants
the referendum and the fool law de-
feated. Behind closed doors, the
real republican leaders and organiza-
tion men say bitter things. Nine out
of ten will favor some other man for
their candidate for governor next
year.
Democrats are anxious that Willis
shall run for his second term. Dem
ocrats should not sign any referen-
dunn petitions on the liquor license
law It's a deformed republican
child. Lec the governor and his
wrecking crew have it just as they
conceived it.