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

In view of the big demonstration in
harrisburg to-day in behalf of the
Dill providing for local option with
county unit and three-year period
between elections, 1t is interesting to
note that in 1872 the Legislature of
pennsylvania passed just such a bill.
tihe bill remained on the statute
books three years and was repealed
aIter a historic battle, which lasted
almost from the time the act was
signed. The bill was approved by
John f. Hartranft as Governor on
March "a, 1872, and is to be found on
page 4s of the acts os 1872. 1t is
rather short statute and provides that
every three years commencing with
the March election, the people of a
county should have the right to vote
on the question whether there should
pc licenses issued in the county for
the sale of liquor. The act contained
provision that local or special laws.
which then abounded, should not be
interfered with, and a special refer
ence TO law governing elections in
the borough of Lebanon" The fol-
Loving year it was found necessary to
amend the law in order to clarity 1t,
and tangle ensued over the demand
OF the cities to be separated from the
counties in voting. In 1878 there was
a hot debate on the bill, in which the
records show that James A. Strana-
han, then a member of the House
from Mercer county. made a strong
speech In favor of retaining local op-
ton on the books. The journal is
interesting reading for those sessions
and II indicates that the repeater was
put through in 1876 by some combi-
nations and because ii was found that
the original provisions were too COM
plicated. The people who drafted the
present law have doubtless profited by
the difficulties of over forty years
ago and will take care that there shall
be no chance to upset 1t.
The excitement about the city yes
terday afternoon when the bulletins
from the prize fight at Havana were !
being sent in recalled the days when |
Sullivan and Mitchell fought in France
and when John L. had his battles with |
kilrain and Corbett in the South. The |
Corbett- -Fitzsimmons fight, which oc-
Cured at a time permitting display of
afternoon bulletins. attracted much |
more attention than yesterdays mill" /
as people gathered around bulletin |
boards in big crowds and little business
was done in some establishments after |
$50. This city has always been par
tial to prize fight bulletins and it's peo- |
pie like to line up and read about |
the progress of the rounds, quiet as
you may keep it.
II. L. Lark. the attorney, who has |
been on a tour of the southwest for |
some weeks. is spending a short time |
in Kansas before returning lfome. |
He recently spent a short time in Ell !
Dos NxslA no ,ata Il
proposition was far better handled |
than here. In fact in a number of
cities of the wild and woolly west he
found far better hotels than the capi- !
tai city of Pennsylvania could boast.
One nervous old gentleman called up |
the Telegraph shortly after the fight
was over yesterday afternoon and |
asked for the latest.
Willard beat Johnson"
Great"
Soon after the same man called up
and asked for the latest on the fight.
Willard beat Johnson" was the re-
ply.
Darn it all. that's what they told
me five minutes ago" was the eXcla-
nation transmitted.
Another man who was probably a |
great enthusiast over the bout when
told of the decision brought a cheer
that almost ruined the telephone.
Come on boys" were the three
words that worked the charm and al
most deafened the person who an
swered the phone.
Another Miss who called up was so
elated over the fact that Willard won
that she unblushingly, it is presumed,
gave the party on the other end of the
line a kiss for breaking the good
news.
United States Senator George T.
Oliver, who is to preside at the mass
meeting for local option tonight, was
one of the first newspaper publishers
in the country to come out in favor of
local option and to refuse to print
liquor advertisements.
From all accounts the fruit trees !
in this part of the State have not |
been harmed to\any extent by the re- !
cent cold snaps, the frosts and the |
furries of SHOWS AS a matter of !
fact it seems as though the fields |
were not harmed either and even in |
eastern counties, where the SHOWS |
We're deep on Saturday, the owners |
of farms and orchards declare in con-
versations with State inspectors that |
but little damage was done. Every |
thing in this section appears to be |
favorable now to good fruit crops, |
provided, always, that the bugs and |
pests are kept down.