Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-21
FOCAL OPTION BATTLE
RACES IN THE HOUSE

r.rt,nued from rage One
there will be non-partisan uprising that
riiI sweep the state
REPRESENTATIVE Miles r, kits, OF Erie,
81 the first shots for the LIQUOR in
terests in the debate.
rbo question OF local option he said,
-, borone "tiresome." The local on
,iontsts are not seeking local option. but
s,robibitIon Local option Is n political
bvsteria demanded by the Governor of
.his state and not by the people, he con-
tinued
,aTbis question was settled last Novem-
hor as conclusively as any question could
ho settled II was settled rs conclusively
as loss willard settled the championship
in HAVANA one hundred and forty-rour
~ the members OF this House were sent
here pledged to vote against this meas
vre IL is hypocrisy to clog the wheels
y; the Legislature with such bill
"The williams bill" Kits asserted.
nbas the wronG unit" He contended
,bat Il is not self-government for the
neonle Of an entire county to decide
,ybether every section OF the county shall
go dry or not.
ATTACK on SUNDAY KISSED.
"The ministers supporting the local
anton movement" ne said, "are cynics,
,AousinE for vcrmin and not seeking big
gor game Local option was not heard
Of until 1t was agitated by one of our
hest ball players. 1t is frenzy stirred up
nv ,Bllv' Sunday, who breaches religion
for dollars
Kisses from all parts of the House
greeted this statement, and he was unable
20 continue for several minutes
The liquor dealers are In a carefully Sc
iscted, carefully set up partnership with
,hc state Of Pennsylvania, Mr., kits as
tNn ~
nrped tho Gibboney plan of compensa-
,ton should local option become n law.
Sneaking of the principle of home rule
,,volved he said that this is n repre-
sentative government. Every question
sbould not he submitted to tho people
he said 81 would rather leave the liquor
question to the Judges Of my county than
N the rabble. tho Y. NJ. c. \. and the
Anti-Saloon League
Governor BrumbauEh, Kits charged.
did not let the Republican leaders know
that he wanted local option until after
the party platform was drawn in Pitts
burgh. "He then inserted tho plank in
his own platform" he continued. Kits
labeled the Brumbaugh platform "scur-
rilous. half-strung, illegitImatc pat
form"
In urging the defeat of the bill, he
called upon the members to pay no at
tention to threats of 'stumpng their dis
tricts in 1916.
Warren c. Graham was the only Phila-
delphia to speak in favor of local option
"Iiauor is the greatest force of evil in
the country" he said, land | am going
70 vote for the bill because | believe the
question should be left to the people of
the state to decide
BEYER ATTACKS GOVERNOR.
Frederick Boyer, of Philadelphia fol-
lowed Mr.. Graham. lie spoke against the
bill.
The part the ministers have taken In
the local option fight Mr.. Boyer said, has
"cntircly discredited the church"
''Kecp virtue in the home, and not
regulate it by n vote of the residents
Of county" was his argument against
the bill IA local option law would
place the residents of communities at
the mercy of their neighbors."
The Governors efforts to secure the
passage of the bill have been objection
able. lie said. He called the Governors |
methods intimidation"
Tfalf the members npplauded Mr..
Beyer when he said that the methods |
used by Governor BrumbauGh to secure |
the passage of the bill have STIRRED up |
resentment" among the members.
The regulation of mans morals Is
not governmental function" he contin- !
ued. Mr.. Boyer talked for an hour, and
at intervals during his speech he contin-
ued the attacks upon the Governor that
were started by Mr.. Kits.
HERMAN SPEAKS FOR BILL.
Representative Frank j. Herman, of
Wyoming, took up the cudgels for the
bill after Mr.. Boyer had concluded.
AT the time the Brooks high license |
law was passed it was the best for the |
regulation Of the sale of liquor" he said.
"The Brooks law, however, has become
inefficient. If the local option bill be- |
comes a law it, too, will some day be-
come inefficient. That is the history of |
all such legislation.
THE liquor men have the best organiza- |
tion that brains and money can produce. !
In spite of this organization the people, |
through the election of Martin G. Brum- |
baugh, demanded the passage of this bill. |
Personal liberty" said Mr.. Herman, |
us the right of the people to rule and |
liquor traffic adds so per cent to the |
burdens of society. 1t destroys ny - /
per cent mans capacity for labor, and /
labor Is the wealth of this country Tho /
Car of all Of the Russias rrcogniHcd .
that this was Il question Of economies i
In his dominion, and despite his great |
pressing need of revenues at this time, |
went so far as to prohibit the sale and |
manufacture of liquor within the borders |
of his country, and today, with 40 per |
cent. of the men from the farms and |
factories in the field with his army, he |
sun produces from S to 20 per cent, |