The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-07

sidered, it should be in the nature of
the general. compensation that would re.
suR from putting these products into
food instead Of deleterious drink. He
would advocate, he said, an appropria-
tion for experimental stations for dis
covering new commercial uses for alco-
hol. Denatured alcohol, he said, is al
ready of great value and can be had by
extracting it from materials now fed to
hogs leaving such foods of higher value
for the extraction of the alcohol.
"Aleohol,n he declared, "should be
made the handmaiden to civilization,
but it should not be permitted to de-
bauch mems bodies and damn men S
souls.
Robert ]. McGrath, representing the
Iron City Trades Council, of Pitts
burgh, affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor, was the next
speaker and opposed the bill. He pro-
tested against it, he said, in the name
of organized labor, dwelt upon the per-
sonal liberty phase which other speak
ers had elaborated upon, and declared
prohibition, effected under a local op-
tion law, would throw Thousands of men
out of employment.
''The thousands of members Of our
organization, he said, "protest
against being deprived of their means
of livelihood by sumptuary legisla-
tion.
He was followed by City Treasurer
McCoach, of Philadelphia, Ware leader
for the Thirtieth ward, whose address
lasted not more than three minutes and
which he summed up with the statement
that if Congressman Barehfeld s state
ments were correct, the fight already
was won.
"The only. question before this Leg
| islature,' he said.i sis whether the
question of local option shall be sub
mitted to the people. 1t is time to take
the liquor question out of politics" "
| Swift Sums Up
Joseph E. O'Brien, of Scranton, de.
clared that the State already has an
effective local option law in the applica-
tion of the Brooks high license law. He
| disputed Father Curran's statement
that all parties had declared for local
option, and said the Legislature was
| bound to defeat 1t for the very reason
| that the one party that did not even
mention it in is platform was over
whelmingly eleced, "wiping all other
candidates off the map"
This State had local option for the
three years following 1872, he said, and
he characterized that as "the first such
law, and probably the last"
The summing up was left to Charles
IF. Swift, of Beaver, member of the
Legislature IN the last session. He
cited Lincoln's government of the
people, by the people, for the people, y
and was loudly applauded.
''I stand mere this afternoon to
challenge the right of the saloon to
exist, for no other business so conduct
| ed could exist, he said 81 ,,sk what
service has the saloon ever brought to
humanity, for service is what is de-
manded of every other business, every
other industry"
"We are ready" said he, coming
to the close of his speech and of the
afternoon s hearing, "to fight this bat
| tie to the bitter end-to fight unil we
have accomplished he local option
which is in harmony with our whole
system of government
1t was just 4.35 p. IN. when he sat
down and Chairman Williams an
nounced the meeting adjourned.
Immediately there were cheers and
shouts for Governor Brumbaugh, but
when it became apparent that the Chief
Executive had no intention of making
an address the crowd slowly began to