The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-06-07
LAKE TOWNSHIP,
AS the Name Plainly Indicates, is
Very Wet,
But 1t Cost a Struggle on Saturday to
Demonstrate it Clearly---rhe Vets
Win With a Majority Of
@ lac Votes.

Saturday was an interesting day in
Stark county and the interest centered
in Lake township. The question of
wet OF dry was before the people to
vote upon and to decide whether liquor
should be sold within the, township or
whether local option should govern the
actions of the people. Like in Canton
township, those more enthusiastic IN
the matter of having local option put
to a vote, feared that the Township
Trustees would place technical obstruc
tions in the way and delay the election,
but like in Canton township, they were
worrying over trouble that never came,
for after giving the matter due consid-
Grafton and making a careful examina-
ton of the petitions the Trustees de-
cided that an election should be held
on June 2, to decide the matter.
Saturday was a fine day. The SUI
came out in all its glory as should a
dutiful sun, and refused to have its in
MIGRATING rays dimmed by fog or
smoke. There was a stiff breeze blow
ing, just such a n as kept the TEN
perature at a pleasant state aud this
state of affairs continued throughout
the day. Bright and early with the sun
appeared workers for the respective
sides on these questions of wet
or dry, and all day long they
worked. AS the day lengthen-
ed, the crowds about the voting
places increased and interest was at an
intense pitch. Carriages having within
them drivers confident of success scour-
ed the township and brought out those
unable to move about and those whose
composition had within in nothing of a
nature to reduce them to practice the
act of suffrage. "Wets" and "drys"
worked hard and both spoke of victory
with a big v. But the experiences Of
election taught that no dependence
could be placed on expectation concern
ing a mans vote, and so the immense
crowds hung about the polling places.
and %anxiously waited until the vote
was counted.
The totalnumber of votes cast was
474, being only fifty votes less than cast
at a State election. Recently the town
ship was divided into three election
precincts, Uniontown, Midway and
G%reentown, and this division made it
much easier to call out the vote. About
the time the shades of night were fall
il g rumors began to be circulated that
everything was wet. This created con.
sternatiOn in the ranks of the "drys,"
and they were 10th to believe any such
reports, but soon the semi official vote
from the precincts came in, and it was
found that the vets had won by 149 ma
jority, ten more of a majority than
in Plain township. The vote was
as follows: Midway precinct-wet, 1853;
dry, 81; majority for wet, 1923. Union
town precinctwet SO; Dry, 81; major
ity for wet, 10. Greentown precinct
wet, SO; Dry, IS; majority for wet 8.
Majority for wet in the Township, 149.
The results in Plain and Lake town
ships will have a great bearing upon
the vote in Canton township on the
same question June IL. Both parties
are working hard and as the Prohibi-
tionists have effected an organization
to fight the liquor in the township,
there is just enough Of doubt about the
result to make the contest interesting
and exciting.