Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-06-28
Staunton vindicator.
FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE %. 1889.
LOCAL.
w E 7 5!
HARRISONBURG AND THE DISTRICT
WHICH WENT DRY BY PAL IN 1887,
GO WET BY 46 IN 1885,

THE CANIPAIGN-PREPARAT FOR IT
SCENES ON ELECTION DAY-A Process
SION OF Al dry WORKINGMEN-HOW
THE VETS RAN THEIR CAMPAIGN.
&C., &C., sc.
reported for the stanton VINDICAToR.l
HARRIsoNBURG, June "A.
| suppose no election ever came off under
more depressing surroundings for one side
than that in which the ''Drys'' were defeat
ed to-day i'll this town and adjoining pre-
cincts. Since they carried the district in
1887 by al majority, almost everything
that could happen to discourage them had
happened. The states Of Michigan, Texas,
Tennessee, Oregon West Virginia, New
Hampshire and Massachusetts had voted
down Prohibition by large majorities, and
just on the eve of their own struggle, Penn
sylvania had gone ''Wet" by the overwhel-
ming majority of 185, 900, and the State of
Rhode Island had revoked it's ''Dry" law by
more than three-fifths vote. Last, and
worst of all. Local Option in Harrisonburg
itself had proved a comparative failure.
Not that it had been without good effects,
but it had fallen far short of making that
absolute suppression Of liquor selling in
which its friends had hoped for, and which
the more enthusiastic Of them had prophe-
cied. These dispiriting facts were not hid
under a bushel; on the contrary the Vets
had had them printed on little dodgers and
posted on the trees and fences of the town
in order to secure their full effect.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE DRY CAM
PAIGN.
Though the sky had been growing darker
and darker for some time past, the Drys did
not lose heart. They went ON to organize
as thoroughly as ever, indeed possibly more
thoroughly. Rev. A. p. Funkhouser the
President of the Temperance Alliance pro-
cured list of the names Of every voter in
the district; his politics; what church, if
any, he belonged to; what were his habits
about voting; who could influence him,
and so forth. Three months ago the
Women's Christian Temperance Union, of
which Mrs. John Paul wife of U. S. Dis
trict Judge Paul is President. commenced
mailing literature, (much of which was
furnished by the Starnton W. G. I. w.
to those names, and especially in the last
I ten days have they flooded the district with
it. This Union and the lodge of Good
Templars did an immense amount Of work
on the Dry side, while there was an EXecu-
tive Committee of the Temperance Alliance
which took charge Of the routine arrange
ments of the fight. AS the election day
came near, the operations became more
lively and the speaking commenced. Rev.
Rumsey Smithson, who is well known in
Staunton, was sent for and came here and
delivered one Of his ablest Prohibition adj
dresses. At other points in the district
there were addresses. But it was on June
18th, court-day, that the Drys commenced
their skirmish firing all along the line.
That most remarkable Negro orator, Rev.
MI. Hector, arrived, and has spoken day
and night, since. On yesterday morning
he preached in the colored Methodist
church, in the afternoon at the Court
House, and at night again in the Court
House, where q meeting-a sort OF love
feast as it were, was kept up till midnight
After that, Rev. A. p. Funkhouser and
some other of the active men workers
Z staid up all night to see that everything
was ready fol- this morning.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE WET