Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-30
.ANTILIQUOR LAW
MOVEMENT Is ON
Numerous Bills to Be Present
ed; Commissioner O'Neil
Talks on the Outlook

StdTleu WITH the lIllrOuucIlOn OF tne
Vickerman local option bill and the
well-founded rumors that an anti
treating measure and another pro-
posing an amendment to the Consti-
tuition for statewide prohibition would
shortly make their bow to the legis-
1ators has again brought the question
of the sale of liquor in Pennsylvania
prominently before the eyes of the
representatives and senator's, says
Joseph N. Mackrell in to-day's Pitts
burgh Chronicle-T e-Telegraph, and as the
agitation is now apparently country
wide, with considerable accessions to
the dry" column, the matter of claims
and counter claims in Pennsylvania
assumes importance.
State Insurance Commissioner j.
Denny O'Neil, one of the foremost op-
ponents of liquor in the nation, de-
elared that the day a local option
measure is made a law in Pennsyl-
siXty-seven in this state would go
dry. Speaking on the prohibition
feature, he claimed that with the time
that would be given to organize the
state there was no doubt about the
total abolition of the licensed sale of
liquor in Pennsylvania. THE votes
are here" he stated, land all that has
to be done is to show the people that
they have 1t in their power to cleanse
Pennsylvania of the liquor taint."
The Rev. F. r. Holsopple, state
superintendent of the Anti-Saloon
send the great majority of the coun-
ties into the dry column and that some
would take that step that are claimed
sure for the liquor men. Attorney ].
Day Brownlee, Jr., general counsel for
the league, expressed the same view
nIc
Liquor men claim to have no fear on
Pennsylvania in prohibition election.
They grant the growth and sweep of
the opposition movement, but claim
Pennsylvania will be the last to "go
over" They openly assert their oppo-
sition to local option, claiming it is not
satisfactory and would fail in it's pur-
pose. They cite revenues and invest
ments and many use the term "com-
pensation" when asked about the
abolition of their privilege. They say
there is no equity in putting them
chance to save their financial invest
ments.
The Local Option Committee and
ti-Saloon League are meeting to-
day Philadelphia and out of that
meeting is expected to come a har-
monious combination whose sole pur-
pose Will be to fight liquor all along
the line. They are a unit on getting
an expression from the Republican
and Democratic parties on the liquor
question in their 1918 platforms, but
claim there will be little trouble in
having both organizations openly de
clare for either local option or state
wide prohibition or both. On that
phase of the subject they seem to
know something"
The dry counties in Pennsylvania
now are Bedford, Crawford, Greene,
or n Inf M
Ger, Mifflin, Union, Venango and Wyo-
ming-eleNen.
Commissioner o'Neil says the op-
portunity to vote on the liquor ques-
tion would make the following dry
at the first local option election: Ad-
ans, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford,
Blair, Bradford, Butler Cambria, Cam
eron, Center, Clarion, Chester. Clinton,
Clearfield, Crawford. Columbia, Cum
berland, Forest, Franklin, Fulton,
Greene, Indiana, Huntingdon. Jeffer-
son. Juniata, Lawrence, Lycoming,
Perry, Pike, Potter, Snyder, Somerset,
Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango,
Warren, Washington, Wayne, West
moreland and Wyoming-forty-fiv
In Allegheny county it may be of
interest to know that the old Thirty
seventh ward of Pittsburgh. now
Brushton, is prohibitory territory, and
that Squirrel Hill is dry" The Sew
enth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh wards
of McKeesport are not open to liquor
Selling. Pittsburgh contains three
fourths of the saloons in ALLEGHENY
county. The dry McKeesport wards
comprise half the population of that
city. In addition to the dry town.
ships the following are some of the
local option boroughs of Allegheny
county or where by special acts of the
Legislature the sale of LIQUOR is pro-
ad CTNif AxFol Lon,
Dormont, Liberty, West Elizabeth
Verona, Versailles, Turtle Creek
Springdale, Sewickley, Port Vue, Pit
cairn, Oakmont, Grafton, East McKees-
port, Edgewood, Edgeworth, Leetsdale.
These are just some of them.
The opponents of liquor claim that
one-half of the saloons are in four
counties, likely Philadelphia, Allie
gheny, LuZerne and Schuylkill, al
though Lackawanna and Erie come
close to Schuylkill county. Eighty per
cent, according to their statistics, are
in one-fourth of the counties and one
half of the counties have 90 per cent
of the saloons. 1t likewise follows
that in one-half of the counties there
are less than 10 per cent. of the
licensed houses.
To an outsider there does not seem
to be even a rare chance for the pass
age of a local option law at this ses-
sion unless the Wares, who are pol
lititcal associates of Governor NJ. G.
Brumbaugh, turn in their twenty-four
Philadelphia votes. That would pass
the bill in the House and would serve
to re-establish the Governor with many
of his doubling dry friends. The
Wares are said to owe this to the Gov
ernor and he may ask for the votes.
But there are few who believe that he
will. The fact that corporations are
starting to send representatives to
license court hearings is significant. A
short time ago in Columbia county the
safety first" man of the American Car
and Foundry Company appeared and
demonstrated against all licenses in
Berwick. Last year, he said, accidents
had decreased 20 per cent. because
there were no saloons. It evidently
impressed the court, as none will be
there in 1917. The workmen's COM
pensation law is beginning to be felt
by the corporations and they are strik-
ing at what they call the origin of
accidents. And SO the unceasing
battle goes on.
DIAN MOD TtUpNy