Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1911 — Liquor Interests Set Down on Amendment Offered by John Brown. [ARTICLE]

Liquor Interests Set Down on Amendment Offered by John Brown.

Monticello Herald. All over the state active preparations are in progress for elections made necessary by the new option law. This provision of Lhe new law was not a part of the democratic platform pledge, and any democrat in the legislature could have voted against the bill in this form* without violating his party obligation. Gov. Marshall could easily have had the obnoxious and unfair proviso stricken out if he had seen fit to do so. He signed the bill and says he is glad of it. The House had an opportunity to strike out the offensive clause and save the. people all this expense, but when John Brovfn proposed this simple act of justice by offering an amendment it was voted down and he was even refused a hearing. It is not too late for the Assembly to correct this rank injustice and save the counties of the state about a quarter million dollars needless expense, to say nothing of the burden laid upon each community of circulating petitions and engaging in campaigns. Ail of this could be called off, if the legislature. were so disposed, by adopting the amendment submitted by Representative Brown last Friday. It simply provides that “dry” fc territory shall remain “dry” and “wet” territory “wet”*until otherwise ordered by the vote of the people, which is certainly a reasonable proposition. The amendment when introduced Friday, was referred to the so-called “Committee on Public Morals,” the graveyard of good bills, where it ’s sweetly slumbering at present anu will likely so continue.

Ten thousand school children of South Bend have been organized into “clean street leagues” in a movement to make South Bend the cleanest city in the United States. To encourage the work the Chamber of Commerce will offer prizes to the leagues for t>e Lest results. Individual prizes will also be awarded to the pupils. The campaign will begin early in the spring.