The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1917-03-16
A SUBMARINE
ATTACK PLANNED
ON REFERENDUM
will Ask Legislature to Pass
Bill Granting City Councils
Exclusive Control Of
Liquor Traffic
MEASURE A Wet TRAP

A bill has been prepared by the
agents of the Chicago liquor inter-
ests in the City Council and will be
presented to the State Legislature
granting to city and village councils
exclusive control of the liquor traffic
in Illinois. The bill will go to the
Legislature with the endorsement OF
the Chicago City Council.
The measure is unquestionably a
submarine attack on the referendum
bill now pending in the House. Ac-
cording to information derived from
a reliable source, the bill is designed
by the liquor interests to embarrass
certain prominent politicians and to
line up certain members OF t he
House against the referendum by
committing them to "home rule" on
the saloon question.
But its effect is likely to be quite
different from this. Alderman Buck
showed very clearly that if the vets
want to kill home rule for Chicago
on public utilities, the most certain
way to do it would be for them to go
before the Legislature asking the
passage of the proposed bill.
He offered an amendment to per-
nit a referendum to the entire state
before the bill should become opera
tive, but this amendment was promptly
and overwhelmingly voted down.
What the Bill Would Do
If the measure should become a
faw, it would annul the local option
law, the dramshop act, and the Sum
day closing law, in all the cities and
villages of the state. This will be
seen from a study of its text which
follows:
A BILL
For an act to extend the powers
OF the City Councils in cities and
the President and Board of Trustees
in villages and incorporated towns.
Section /. Be it enacted by the
people of the state of Illinois, rep
resented in the General Assembly:
That the City Council in cities, and
the President and Board of Trustees,
in villages and incorporated towns
shall have complete and exclusive
power and authority to license, regu-
late, control and prohibit on all days
of the week, including Sunday, the
manufacture, sale or giving away OF
any Intoxicating malt, vinous and
mixed or fermented liquors, and shall
have full and complete power and
authority to regulate and control the
observance of Sunday within any
such city, village or incorporated
town.
Section 2. This act shall not be in
force and apply to any such city,
village or incorporated town, until
it shall be submitted to the voters
of any such city, village or incor-
poratcd town, at any municipal
election, to be held in any such city,
village or incorporated town, shall
thereupon Immediately become ef-
fective in such city, village or incor-
porated town, and the City Council
in any such cities, and the Presi-
dent and Board of Trustees in any
such village or incorporated town,
shall forthwith, after the adoption of
such act, pass all needful ordinances
to carry the same into effect.
Section 3. Upon 10 per cent in
number of the legal voters of any
such city, village or incorporated
town, voting at the next preceding
election for municipal officers, de-
manding by petition filed with the
city, village or town clerk at least 80
days before the election at which
said submission shall be desired, that
the question shall be submitted
whether this law shall apply and be-
come effective in any such city, viii
Iage or incorporated town, there shall
be placed upon the ballot to be used
at any such election the question
substantially in the following form:
"Shall the city (village or incor-
porated town. OF ........ adopt An
act 10 extend the power OF the City
couneil, in cities, and the President