Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-13
Governor For Local Option


The meeting last night at which
Governor Brumbaugh spoke was not
able for the vigor of the addresses.
Governor Brumbaugh declared that he
was firm for local option. 81 am as
thoroughly for local option now as !
ever was and anything L can do for it
| want to do" said he.
The Governor received notable
reception, the audience standing when
he came in and his remarks were
punctuated with applause. His dec
laration was we'll received and the
audience listened with marked atten-
ton to his clear logical argument for
local option as local self governme ent
and his assertion that liquor licenses
should not be made a disturbing fac
tor in judicial elections.
Governors Speech
much commented upon to-day among
visitors to the city.
The Governor said:
This is a government in which the
Will of the people rules, The major
fty Will expressed in terms of law Is
guidance and direction to all the peo-
pie. When that will is recorded it is
the duty of all to yield to it ready obe-
dience. The essence of our democracy
cate that citizenry and fit it to do it's
part in enacting, enforcing and obey
ing law is the greatest program of
service to which the nation can devote
itself.
There is conclusive evidence that
local government can be given inceras-
ed powers as the people become in
creasingly trained and informed upon
all matters that have to do with con-
dI1nf lou
deny local control is to deny ones
confidence in our democracy. 1 for
one believe in the people and am will
ing to give them full opportunity to
register their will upon all issues
that affect them locally. The same
confidence which the Commonwealth
shows in giving the people in the sew
eral counties and smaller municipal
units the power to elect their own as
semblymen ought in my judgment be
accorded them in the matter of de-
Gliding for themselves whether or not
licenses for the sale of alcoholic beVer-
ages shall be granted in their several
counties. | am as strongly for local
option now as I ever was and am anX-
ious to see such a law enacted at the
coming session of the Legislature.
Surely If the people in the several
counties can legislate upon any sub
iect of moment that is peculiarly and
specifically their own problem. it is
fair to allow them to legislate upon
local option. Let the will of the peo-
pie in the counties be the law in this
matter.
Take Licensing From Judges
I'VE ought, as solemn duty, to
take the issuing of licenses from the
judiciary. II is not a judicial function
essential iG a bn
judges do not wish to assume. The
bar has protected against its continue
ance. 1t is our right to relieve the
courts of an obligation they should
never have assumed. The unseemly
contests for judicial position in some
parts of the Commonwealth should
cease. | earnestly ask all thoughtful
citizens to help strengthen our judi
ciary in every way we can. To enact
a local option law will contribute to
this vital service to the judiciary and
to all the people. 1t will be a dignity
ing of our great tribunals of justice.
Let us join in an earnest, honest
effort to secure a local option law to
do all we honorably can to help elect
men to the next general assembly who
will favor such a law.
And in general it is incumbent
upon us TO elect the most capable TO
office, to the end that in all matters
that arise for legislative attention we
may have men of courage, integrity,
and character to repre-
sent the people i'm the great work of
enacting laws that promote human
welfare and advance human rights in
Ovation for Governor
At the open meeting last night Gov
ernor Brumbaugh received an ovation
when he declared that he was as much
in favor of local option as he ever was
in his life and urged his hearers to
work for it with might and main, and
speakers who followed him denounced
Senators Penrose and Oliver. The
Governor made no reference to any
thing but local option, but the later
speakers appeared TO have other things
on their minds.
When the Governor had finished and
left the hall the Rev. DR.. c. F. Swift,
a former legislator from Beaver and
trict of the Antisaloon League, took
the floor and declared that so long as
the church people pray for local OPP
ton at the altar and then go out on
election day and vote the Penrose-
booze ticket, just so long will the cause
of local option meet with defeat in
this State. DR.. Swift declared that if
he ever fills pulpit again-he is an
ordained minister-he will throw out
of his church any person he finds
praying for local option at the
Wednesday evening prayer service and
voting for the booze gang machine on
the second Tuesday in November"
DR.. c. A. Dillinger a Pittsburgh
followed with bitter at
tack on Senator Penrose, calling him
the main cog in the booze machine of
Pennsylvania"
f. n. Mohr. of Bradford county,
overseer of the State Grange pooh
poohed the idea that the liquor busi-
ness is too big a buyer of the farmers
grain to root out the business. lie
declared that it would take the dairy
cows of Pennsylvania just sixty-two
days to eat all the grain used by the
liquor business. in one year and that
the milk thus produced would more