452 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1 



come in so as to help us banish the saloons, 

 I shall have more faith in it than I ever 

 had before. I think we can all agree in 

 this: That the presence of a large number 

 of people, especially people of influence, 

 does have, and always will have, its effect 

 on our law-makers. 



When Ernest wanted me to go to Colum- 

 bus, and be on hand during the passage of 

 this bill through the Senate. I could not be- 

 lieve my presence would do any good: but 

 when the people of our State or any other 

 State are so much interested in the framing 

 of good laws that they will leave their work 

 and be on hand when these bills come be- 

 fore the legislature, there is a much better 

 prospect that such bills will be passed. 

 Senator Chamberlain did not look toward 

 me, nor smile, until his repeated calls for 

 "question " had resulted in the calling of 

 the names for the final vote, and then we 

 had our victory. Then he turned to me and 

 gave me another bright happy look, like the 

 one I have described. As soon as I could 

 get hold of his hand I repeated the words 

 of our text, something like this: " Dear 

 Bro. C, be not weary (nor worried') in well 

 doing; for in due season you shall reap if 

 you faint not." He had been ivearied, and, 

 if I am correct, greatly worried, with the 

 unceasing, persistent imp rtunity of the 

 enemies of the bill in trying to break it 

 down, amend it. or nullify it; but he held 

 on and came out victorious. Somebody said 

 to Bro. Wheeler just then, who was close to 

 us, " Now, Bro. Wheeler, you can get some 

 sleep, I suppose, and rest up for the next 

 battle." 



Permit me to mention incidentally that, 

 just before the temperance bill was acted 

 on, when I was tired, stupid, and perhaps 

 half asleep, I thought somebody mentioned 

 something that sounced like "foul brood." 

 Then I heard the words "contagious dis- 

 ease." There was no excitement prevail- 

 ing just then, and the Senators did not talk 

 as loud as they did a little later when they 

 got on to temperance. Then another Sena- 

 tor got up and remonstrated. Said he, 

 " Why, this is a matter that concerns only 

 a few persons. We can not afford to tax 

 our State to further their wishes when only 

 a few are to be benefited, or have any con- 

 cern in the matter at all." 



The first Senator who arose to his feet 

 said, in substance: " Why, gentlemen, this 

 is a contagious disease. It threatens to 

 ruin the honey industry of the State. You 

 say it is a matter of little moment; but I 

 tell you I have received more letters in re- 

 gard to this matter than any other bill that 

 has ccme before the Senate." 



Then he held up a great bundle of letters. 

 Three or. four others arose to their feet, and 

 said, " And I," " And I," " And I." Not- 

 withstanding, there was quite a number of 

 Senators who did not vote at all. Out of 

 35, 17 were for the passage of the bill, and 

 3 were against it. Now, here is a big 

 moral. On p. 276, March 15, Ernest put in 

 an editorial, urging the writing of these 



letters; and this editorial, friends, was the 

 means of securing this very just bill for the 

 benefit of the bee-keepers of Ohio. 



Before closing I wish to say that some of 

 the best temperance talks I ever heard in 

 my life came from the Ohio Senators at this 

 session. Senator Carson, of Xenia, is a host 

 in himself. He is not only an eloquent and 

 fearless speaker, but he is one of the clear- 

 est-headed reasoners it was ever my privi- 

 lege to listen to. 



Later, April 20. — The above was dictated 

 something over a week ago. Since then, to 

 the astonishment and indignation of all the 

 good people of Ohio, and almost the entire 

 press, Governor Herrick, by threatening to 

 veto the Brannock bill, induced the House 

 to make concessions that have probably 

 stripped this righteous law of perhaps half 

 its force. Protests were showered in upon 

 him from all over the State; but he defend- 

 ed himself by some sort of plea to the effect 

 that such a temperance bill would ruin the 

 Republican party, and so he pushed on in 

 his course. It reminds me vividly of the 

 celebrated Griggs nullification act; and it 

 ought to be a reminder to all of us that that 

 old spirit of carrying the day in politics by 

 any means, fair or foul, has not yet passed 

 by. The entire House and Senate are com- 

 posed of good men, almost without excep- 

 tion, and everybody supposed the victory 

 was complete. While I write, loud are the 

 protests, coupled with some threats that the 

 Governor's political life is finished. May 

 be, however, there is providence in it. The 

 nullification act I have alluded to roused up 

 the churches; and the temperance people 

 of Ohio are wakened to a fighting spirit 

 now as they have never been before. The 

 brewers and saloonists may be congratu- 

 lating themselves that they have won a vic- 

 tory; but I think they are mistaken. Our 

 excellent temperance advocate, the Cleve- 

 land Leader, suggests to the saloon element 

 that it behooves them now to keep very qui- 

 et, and be careful how they rouse any fur- 

 ther an indignant majority — indignant be- 

 cause just one man prevented the majority 

 from ruling. For this reason the Leader 

 suggests it would be good policy for them 

 to give way very quietly without suits at 

 law or any other piotest when any commu- 

 nity demands the abolition of grogf eries. 



Still later. — The Brannock bill is now a 

 law, and is doing work. We take the fol- 

 lowing from the Cleveland Leader of April 

 20: 



The tnuch-talked-of Brannock bill is now a law, 

 Governor Herrick having signed it to-day. Represent- 

 ative Brannock, whose name the bill bears, sent down 

 a new gold pen for the Governor to use in signing. 

 Mr. Brannock thus got a prize .«-ouvt nir. Ohioptople 

 can now begin to clear saloons out of residence districts. 

 To Columbu-i citizens will probably go the distinciion 

 of beine the first to lake f^dvanlage of the law. To- 

 night 62 citizens of the noith etd of the city surround- 

 ing the Ohio State University, a residence section with 

 about 1900 voters, started out 10 get signatures for the 

 petition for a local-option election. They felt sure of 

 getting the requiied -10 per cent of the voters by mid- 

 night, and expect at elt ction to wipe out the 11 saloons 

 from the neighborhood. 



To which I want to add, may the Lord be 



