The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-05-18
AT the Special Session of the
Legislature is Being Closely
Watched by ALI

FAIRMONT, May 1$.-The special
legislature met in Charleston at noon
today. The one thing, in partc-
uIar, which every person IN west
Virginia will watch with lnteres., IL
how the governor-and the lawmakers
y,iIl zconsi6er the amendme ems OF the!
Yos1 law, that has inflicted hardsh1ps
throughout the state. especially IN
Fairmont, where the omcers nave
gone on, of their way to enforce tiny
teuchnicalities Of the law While II
has been demonstrated that the peo-]
ME were in favor Of prohibition In
West Virginia, the general senu-
menrs would indicate that the MAJOR
ity are not in favor OF making cn-i
innocent suffer. For thIsIeason the
srate solons viii endeavor TO have
the Law made palmer
For the bootlegger and the mar
who willfully violates the law there
is little If any sympathy. says the
Pirrsburg Dispatch. which sums up
the situation all over the state IN
creditabIe way but certain justices
have imposed sentences, which have
encouraged the suspicion that whole
sale arrests and CONVICTIONS may IN
the end create such sentiment
against the rightly OF the law as TO
be the first means Of turning the
whole prohibition back-to the people
for another decision at the polls
This course would not come all.
at once, but that there would be any
change of heart over the prohibition
wave in the state. in the near future,
or later. is the very thing most rea:.
advocates Of prohibition wish to
avoid.
IN clearer definition on what is a
public place. how man may convey
even properly labeled liquors I'm a ye-
hicle belonging to another without
subjectins, the latter TO LIABILITY tor
prosecution, how a man may travel o.
stand in a public street or alley with
liquors properly labeled without La
billy TO prosecution and other mat
ters of similar nicely seem to be the
points which need clarif1cauon-
Arrests have been made. in many
instances on these tiny recnnicaii1es.
Three men have been serving out.
their sentences in Marion county for
leaving suit cases properly labeled in
store while the owners went into
moving picture theater- These men,
foreisners. probably believed that a
store was not a pubic place, WINE
a moving picture theater was Anolh-
er young man has been given heavy
penalty for hauling asa paid passen-
ger. man who carried properly la
beled suit case, which contained Ii.
ouor. and IN this case Ir was proved
that the carriage driver could not
read and therefore did not know he
had liquor on board Even II he DID
know 1t. the. law. as 1t IS enacted, It
would seem. covered the owner OF the
suit case, and since he was oDeJ,ns
the letter OF the law. and not pun
ishabie the conviction or the driver,
looked TO many like an unjust hard!
ship.
III possible. it VIII be the intention
of the delegates and senators at the
extra session this week TO take these,
kinks out of the Yost law
Many arrests have also been made
where the amount in the properly la-
beled containers was more than three
or four quarts. The law distinctly
stsres that If more than half gallon
be carried into the state or transport
ed from one part of the state to,
another the contained must be prop
erly labeled: showing the amount and
kind. but there Is no. limit to the
amount
.-The only. restriction is that the IL
Cuors shall be for personal use only
The law does not presume TO say what
amount man may bring into the
state for personal USE but the com
plant is made that the o -sscers Of the
law have presumed to surmise that
when the amount is considerable. this
amount is not for personal use only.
The burden of proof. IS. therefore,
shifted from thess state to the man with
the soodly store of wet goods. Els
store. perchance his supply Tor many
months. is thus Liable to bring him
into court.
The state desires the enforcement
of the law. butSa just enforcement,
nS-s az 4his corporation. once a week for
four weeks. and that he forthwith ceS-
ii q. saId resolution TO the Seccetary OF
:aIE-.s.-.-. -. x.