The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-10-28
SHOULD APPROVE
M'DERMOTT Law
Decentralization Of Liquor L.
Csnse System Fair and Proper.
BREAKS POLITICIANS POWER

In Line With Popular Judgment on
the Subject, the Republican STATE
Executive Committee Endorses Nc.
permott Measure-vote "Yes" On
the Act.
Columbus. - Especial Correspond
ence. when the Republican state
executive committee endorsed the
administration Of Governor Willis it
did the right thing at the right time.
This endorsement carried with it a
specific approval Of the work Of the
last general assembly, which means
that the Sprague distrlcting bill and
the McDermott liquor license decsn.
tralizer have the backing Of the Re.
publican state organization.
There has been no unfriendly criti-
cism Of the work Of the last general
assembly except by professional poll
t:Cians who have been let out of Jobs
and notable among the number Is
former Governor Cox, who was given
such severe trouncing by the voters
because he built up an almost In
vincible political machine. In large
sense, the last general assembly SIM
ply undid the bad things that the Cox
administration did.
Endorsing Good Work.
Following the meeting of the Repub.
lican state executive committee this
statement was issued:
"At a meeting of the Republican
state central committee, held in Co.
lumbus, o., Oct. IL, 1915,\ this body
officially representing the Republicans
of the state. strongly endorsed the
economic and efficient administration
of Governor Frank B. Willis, and
heartily approved the action of the
Republican majority in the last gen
eral assembly of Ohio in redeemlne
the platform pledges of the party.
zone of the most important OF the
pledges adopted by the RepublicaS
state convention in 1914; was az tC
the decentralization OF the liquor II
censing system.
"The objection to the present Law
is its tendency to create q POWER
Full POLITICAL MACHINE, subject
to the control of DESIGNING POLL
TICIANS who may be in position tt
influence its action in accomplishing
their purposes. 1t has already during
It's brief existence justified this criti
eism by political activities exerted
through the licensing officials.
"In redeeming its party pledge tC
! DECENTRALIZE this system the Re
tublican general assembly ,enactet
what is known as the McDermott law
/ which eliminates the state liquor II
Uensing board and adheres to the
HOME RULE POLICY of selecting
local licensing officials through the
agency Of county officers who have
been chosen by the people. This
method curtails greatly both the mum
Der Of office holders and the enormous
expense of conducting the system Un
der the old law A state liquor Ii
cense inspector is also provided IL
i the McDermott law to supervise thu
licensing system in the state and Il
insure the observance and enforce
ment of the law.
Facts already disclosed show tina
the referendum petitions and sigma
lures were procured chiefly tarOugl
the activities Of the Cex-Finley az
pointees on the liquor licensing
boards, desirous of perpetuating them
selves in office The use OF the L
censing system Of Ohio for the pul
pose OF producing this referendum !
attempting to defeat the McDermot
bill and the will of the voters. wa
in 1914 registered their protes
| against exclusive and Legislative ms
ne-building, is sufficient to condemn
/ the GreenIund law, and completed
iustifies the McDermott bill, which r.
deems the party's pledge Tor decor
tIalization. Electors of Ohio who ar
against machine and boss rule shoul
register their votes FOR THE M'DEF
/ MnTVTN pTT To