The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-21
OPTION BILL beaten

seats on the Speakers rostrum. About
a third of the crowd were women.
In all the crowd, which numbered
1000 as the bill was called, there were
few who wore the white ribbon of the
optionists or the small American flag of
the personal liberty advocates.
Air of Excitement Prevails
There was an air of suppressed ex-
citement before the important local op-
tion measure was called, and the House
entered into the work of clearing its
second reading calendar with little en-
thusiasm. Representative Isadore Stern,
of Philadelphia, at the start of the ses-
sion, presented the petition of the State
Liquor Dealers Association, containing
347,200 names. Mr.. Stern said:
"This petition preys against the
passage of the local option bill. 1t is
slight indication that there is senti-
ment on both sides of this question. -
The local .option bill, which was in
troduced in the House of February 8
by Representative Williams, of Tioga,
chairman of the Law and Order com
mittee, which considered the measure,
appeared before the House without
amendment and is in the form in which
it was introduced with the backing of
Governor Brumbaugh. Efforts to change
the unit of the bill from counties to
cities, boroughs and township, failed by
an almost unanimous vote on Monday
night.
Injured Law-maker in His Seat
Representative Urick, of Lebanon
county, was presented with two tall
vases of roses as the local option bill
was called. Mr.. Urick was injured re-.
Gently in fall at his home and it was
feared that he would not be able to be
on hand to-day to vote. He is classed
as a "wet. -
One hundred and eleven members
of the House favored motion to linn
it speeches for and against the bill to
IL minutes and that argument be ended
in two and onehalf hours. A motion
to this effect had the support of friends
and opponents of the bill.
Representative Williams, of Tioga
county, was announced as the chief
speaker for the optionists. After he
had been speaking for IL minutes,
Speaker Amber dropped the gavel to
halt him. The House voted to allow
him to continue and he finished his re-
marks.
Mr.. Williams stated at the outset
that the people behind the bill were
neither fanatics nor cranks on the sab
ject of temperance, but were loyal, pa
triotic men who considered that the
time had come to make change in the
license laws. The Brooks law, he held,
hni some good features which were be-
ing. retained. The law in his opinion
has outlived its period of usefulness and
in all fairness he said judges should be
relieved of the duty of acting on liq-
uor license applications.
Defends the County Unit
The bill, said Mr.. Williams, contains
the referendum and the recall and is a
progressive measure. 1t allows the
people to rule, to say in fair way
whether there shall be liquor sold in
their counties. 1t is as fair, he con
tended, as the bill presented by Blair
member to allow third class cities to
elect City Treasurers. Answering Re
contention that the unit should be
smaller than the county he said the
county unit was the fairest method.
The present law puts granting of Ii
censes in the hands of the county
courts.
If the Legislature fails to enact. a
local option law, said Mr.. Williams,
the people will be heard from in 1916.
Mr.. Williams time had expired be-
fore he finished and the Speaker called
his attention to the fact. Mr.. Gra-
ham, Philadelphia, offered part of his
time and Mr.. Williams, was given an
allowance of time to permit him to fin
ish his speech.
People in Erie, Lackawanna, Schuyl-
kill and other counties favor the bill,
said Mr.. Williams. He called atten.
tion of Legislature to the many peti-
tions filed as expressive of public SEN
timent. The Tioga man referred to the
attitude of Woodrow Wilson, when
Governor of New Jersey, on big meas
ures and declared local option was now
a moral issue in Pennsylvania.
He predicted non-partison uprising
in Pennsylvania, not under the name
Continued on Eighth Page.