Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-08
GOVERNORS WARNING
TO SENATE ON LOCAL
OPTION BILL PRAISED
Placing of Responsibility
for Measure and Social
Legislation on Upper
Branch Called Brum-
baugh's Master Stroke.
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT ]

HARRISBURG, April g. - Governor
Brumbaughs action in putting 1t up 10
the Senate leaders to assume full respon-
slbilty IL his local option bill Is de-
feated, Is regarded as a wise move by
the members of the Legislature today.
The Governor, by that action, will force
Senator McNichol and other Republican
Organization leaders, who are openly op-
posing local option, in the position Oh
publicly associatlng the Republican party
in Pennsylvania with the liquor interests
If they defeat local option.
The Governor also placed upon them
the responsibility If his child labor and
workmens compensation bills are defeat
ed or emasculated in the Senate.
The child labor bill is now in the
upper House, and will probably be re-
ported out of the Senate Judiciary Spe-
cial Committee-the 'pickling" commmit-
tee-next week. The manufacturers are
making a strong fight to have 1t amended
IN that committee so as to provide for a
54-hour week The original program OF
the Senate leaders. with the exception OF
Senator Ware, was to do this.
The workmen's compensation bills have
been made n special order on third read
ing next Monday night at $3.50 o'clock in
the House. This will throw those bills
into the Senate on Tuesday OF next week.
with the child labor bill through the
House and the worlSmen's compensation
bills assured of passage In the lower
branch" said Governor Brumbaugh,
three of the big platform issues, IL local
option passes the House, as | expect It
to, will be put squarely UP to the Senate
UP TO THE SENATE.
ut will then be up to the Senate to
act The responsibility will he upon that
body. l am satisfied that the Senate
will meet that responsibility as it should.
THE demonstration was the most con-
vincing kind of evidence that the citi-
zens of this State. regardless of party
affiliations, want local option. When 1t
is considered that So per cent. of those
who received the invitation to the con-
ference responded and came to Harris
burg from virtually every county in the
States at their own expenses, the strength
of the sentiment for the passage of the
local option bill can be guessed.
1.-THE people want local option because
they recognize that it will provide for
them opportunity to exercise their inner
ent right to pass directly upon the liquor
question. They recognize that this is the
question involved, and not the wet and
dry question. In the next few days and
as n result of the demonstration, senti-
ment will crystali2e more than ever.
The news of the demonstration will pene-
trate in all corners of the State; 1t Will
reach the cross roads; the corner gro
ceries and blacksmith shops in the in
terror districts and then the Legislators
will hear of 1t in certain terms"
The local option bill will probably be
reported out of the House Law and
Order Committee next week. Most OF
the members of that body are now In
Pittsburgh with the House Appropriations
Committee
o'NEILLs STAND.
]. Denny O'Neill, of Pittsburgh, chair
n H., 7 a1.IN NWNNl Nla.,T TNNV,a
mttee of Pennsylvania, has issued
statement, In which he makes 1t plain
that If local option fails to pass a new
Statewide political organization may be
formed. His statement follows
'At a meeting of the Executive Com
mittee of the Republican Local Option
Committee of Pennsylvania plans were
laid for completing the State organization
and organizing in the 81 counties for the
purpose of assisting in the passage of
the county local option bill, and for the
further purpose of conducting campaigns
in the various counties after the law
has been enacted This Executive Com
mittee was elected by the State Commit
tee at the conference Monday night and
was authorized TO complete the organ
ization.
"The plan OF organization was SUBJ
mitted to Governor Brumbaugh and re-
ceived his Endorsement. 1t is proposed
lnat tne coInHlttee make every eHoTI
to secure the cooperation of the organi-
cations of the Republican party in the
various counties of the Stfte Failing
in this, the only recourse will be to
form another organization to conduct the
local option fight In the county The
large delegations from all the counties
OF the State attending these conferences
reflected the tremendous local option
sentiment that is sweeping across Penn
sylvania from Ohio to the Delaware
"In the light of the unprecedented dem
onstration yesterday in favor OF local
option in the Chestnut Street Auditorium,
at the morning and evening conferences,
at the hearing before the Law and Order
Committee in the House of Representa-
tives and on the steps of the Capitol
while the hearing was in progress, there
Is no longer any doubt that the county
local option bill will be passed by the
House and Senate at this session OF the