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The License Question

The License Question image
Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
October
Year
1874
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The following correspondence between the conimittee of the State License Association and the Democratie and Republican candidates tor Governor and Lieut. Governor will explain itself. The first letter was addressed to each of the candidates : Bat City, Sept. 12, 1874. SlR - As you are a candidato for election to the office of Governor of this State at the approaching November election, we beg leave most respectfully on behalf of the Michigan License Association, and of those in this State who concur with them in the belief that the prohibition systein is a failure, to propound to you the following questions: 1. Would you, if elected Governor of the State, use your influence and action, in cases where they may be required in the exercise of your office, for the repeal of the presput proliibitory and penal system of the State, as the same are embodied in chapter LXIX , commencing on page 690 of volume one of tlie compiled laws of Michigan of A. D. 1871, and the amondments thereto? 2. Would you, if elected Governor of the State, favor the submission to the peoplo of an aniendment to the present Constitution of Michigan, striking out therefrom section 47 of article IV., which prohibits the enactment of a license law ; and would you, if called upon in the exercise of your office to do so, approve a joint resolution adopted by the Legislature for that purpose ? 3. If tho new Constitution, to be voted on this fall, shall be adopted by the people, would you, if elected Governor of the State, favor the submission to the people of an amendment to such new Constitution striking out therefrom sectiou 36 of article 4 ; and would you, if oalled upon in the exercise of your office to do so, approve a joint resolution adopted by the Legislature for that purpose f Hoping for as early a reply as may be consistent with your convenience, we subscribe ourselves, With great respect, your obedient servan ts, E. W. ANDREWS, D. J. WOBKUM, W. T. LAWRENCE, Central Executive Committee. Mr. Chamberlain replied as follows : Thkee Oaks, Mich., Sept. 25, 1874. Gentlemen - Your letter of the 12th inst., has been this day received. I inclose you a copy of my letter of the 14th inst., accepting the nomination of the Democratie State Convention, held at Kalamazoo, September lOth, 1874. I respectfully refer you to that letter for an auswer to the questions you ask. I ain, gentlemen, yours with great respect, Henry Chamberlain. To E. W. Andrews, D. J. Workuin, W. T. Lawronce, Committee. The portion of Mr. Chamberlain's letter of acceptance, referred to above, is as f jllows : " I approve the resolution adopted by the Conveution whieh proposes to amend the State (Jonstitution by repealing that olause which forbids the Legislatura to lioense the liquor traffio. The Legislature should be left free to pass such remedial laws on this question as the experience and the judgoient of the people (Iemand. That our prohibitory legislation is powerless to prevent or restrain this great evil is proved by an experience of twenty years." "feedeeick hall's eeplt. Messrs. E. W. Andrews and others, Central Executive Coininittee, Etc, Bay City, Michigan : Gentleman - I have examined the three iuterrogatories propounded to me in the foregoing communication, and also the articles, chapters, seotions, etc, to whioh they refer, and my answer is unhesitatingly yes to each and all of said interrogatories or questions. Very respectfully, got. baoleWEIKS? Hali" Messrs. Andrews, Workum and Lawrence, Committee, Etc: Gentlemen - I am in receipt of your letter of September 12th propounding certain inquines as to my official action if re-elected Governor. To the first I desire to say tbat I shall not use my position as Governor to influence legislation upon any subject, except those in which the State is a party in interest, such as appropriations, taxation, etc, etc. To the second and third questsons I see no necessity of an answer, as, by the Constitution, the Governor is not required to approve the amendments that may be proposed. They do not come before him fo.r official action at all. Section 1 of articls 20 gives the Legislature exclusive control in subruitting amendments of the Constitution to the people, and I beg to cali your attention to it. Iseems to me, however, that. the province of the Executive is to decide upon each subject when it comes before him for official consideration, and not to announce beforehand, what measures he should dieapprove. If the Governor took upon himself to influence legislation in any way, and especially by declaring that he should disapprove a bilí if passed by tho Legislature, we should have but little freedom of legislation and only the shadow of a republican government. I have the honor to be, Very respectfully yours, Jno. J. Baglet. LIEUT.-GOV. HOLT'S EEPLT. Mtjskegon, Mich., Oct. 5, 1874. E. W. Andrews, Esq., and others of Central Executive Committee, Michigan License Association : Sirs - Your communication of the 12th uit. was duly received, but business engagements have been such as to prevent an earlier reply. You aak me to inform you as to the course that I shall pursue in the event of iny election as Lieutenant-Governor of thia State, in regard to oertain propositions contained in your communication, which are substantially as follows: 1 . Will I use my action and influence as such offioor in favor of the repeal of those provisions of the statute cominonly know as the " Prohibitory Liquor Law ?" 2. Will I use my influeuce as such officer in favor of the submission to the people of this State of an amendment to tbo Constitution striking out the olause known asthe " prohibitory clause," and in case of the adoption by the people of the proposed new Constitution will I use uiy influence as such officer in favor of the submission to the people of a similar amendment ' 3. Will I, as such officer, if called upon to approve- sign, I suppose you intend - a joint resolution providing for the submission of such amendments, approve (sign) the same? KEPLT. In rpply to the first and secend propostions, I will say that I have not heretofore used, and, if re-elected shall not hereafter use my influence for the purpose of controlling the legislation of the Senate, for the reason that I do not believe it to be possible for a presiding officer to do this, and at the name time to be or at the most to be regarded as boingimpartial. In rogard to the third proposition I will gay that I shall approve (sign) such joint reaolutions, as this signature of the presiding officer, as I regard it, is affixed to the bill or joint resolution merely for the purpose of certifying that the same has been properly passed by the Senate, and that the question of approval or disapproval by the officer is not raised. With great respect, I remain yours truly, Henry H. Holt. -n ■■ m.È - i i i- . Within the past few weeks three beara have been killed within the porporate limits of Howard City. Montcalmccmnty. Three or four othera havo been boijl enough to enter tbe yillaga which were ao oaptured.

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Old News
Michigan Argus