Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1908 — Methodists for County Option. [ARTICLE]

Methodists for County Option.

The ministers of the Northwest Indiana Methodist Conference, in session at Attica, declared themselves in favor of county local option in the following resolution: “The present activity of the brewers, distillers, saloonists and so-called ’personal liberty’ element to defeat the efforts of the people to secure the enactment of a county local option law should be met by the united opposition of all self-respecting citizens. Indiana is face to face with a crisis this year on the temperance question, such as It has never known before. While this declaration must not be interpreted as an Indorsement of any political party, yet we do urge upon all our people that this is a time when party lines should vanish* and that none receive indorsement at the polls for executive or legislative office who does not favor giving our people, by counties, the legal right to banish their saloons.'*

Congressman Watson never lets his Iron cool before he hits it. Prompt Was his acceptance of the special session and quick was his challenging word to his rival In the race for governor. In an admirable speech In Bloomington he asked Mr. Marshall to state exactly how he stands on oounty local option. The reply, if reply be made categorically, will be that he does not approve of the county unit and that the question Is one for the people to answer at the polls in November. They will speak then all right, and we believe that they win approve and hold up the hands of the legislators who in special session enact the popular oounty local option law.

“Annihilation of all private monopolies’’ is one of Mr. Bryan’s big mouthfols In this campaign. It sounds good to him; that is, the phrase does, for ho Is not bothered about the sense or meaning of his campaign catch-cries. Patent rights are distinctively “private monopolies” and about the only variety of them known to exist in the country. The Socialist la with Bryan tn wanting to annihilate the rights of any man In his Invention; free trade. tn patents It their ery.