Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-04
LOCAL OPTION WINS
Vermont Is Out of the List Of
the State Wide Prohibi-
ton States
SPECIAL ELECTION is HELD
SPECIAL ELECTION is HELD
The Local Option Measure Carried by
a Close Vote, the Majority Being Not
Much Over 1000 votes-History of
the campaisn-vermont One of the
First States to Adopt Prohibition.

Montpelier, VT, FeD. 4.-NeTHhoH1 d.
the special election yesterday, went out
of the list of prohibition states, the
majority for the acceptance of the re-
Gently enacted local option high license
law being about $1,000.
OF the 246 cities and towns in the
state 237 give n vote of 30,204 to 23.2SS
in favor of the change. The places
heard from include all the cities and
large villages, and the remaining nine
are small rural communities, mostly
I'm Rutland county, which will not ma
terially alter the figures given.
The result, while gratifying to the
license workers, is not up to their ex-
pectations. Some had predicted an at
firmative majority Of $4,000, while
Percival w. Clement, the leader of the
license movement, who hurried home
from Chicago to vote last evening in
Rutland, put the figure at 5000. The
prohibilionists as lateas noon yesterday
claimed the state by a safe major
ity.
The weather was warm and fair thru
oht the state a condition admittedly in
favor of the prohibitionists. and the
vote was Unexpectedly heavy. In all
the cities 1t seemed as ii every possible
vote was brought out. free conveyances
being provided by both sides. and no
registered voter being overlooked.
The polls closed ut o'clock and soon
the returns began to come in. The
first We're from the rural commune
ties, and these made bad reading for
the friends of the license bill. 1t had
been said all along that the country
places would be in favor of the bill
while the cities and large villages
would go against It. This prediction
was only partly right. for the little
places first heard from were against
the measure, and these early returns
caused fear.
Soon. however, the cities began to
send in their votes, and then for the
license people. The first 100 towns and
cities heard from showed a probable
majority of about 1000, which was
little by little cut down until it he
came certain 1000 was to be about
the correct figures.
for the bill Rutland City was next,
with 1,434. Bennington. the home OF
Governor Mccullough, went for license
by 1.24S. st. Adams gave n yes ma
iority of 797. Montpelier 500 and Barre
GEO.
Rev J. l.. Zwall. secretary of the
Anti-Saloon League and committee OF
fifteen which fought the bill, tonight
declared that at the next state cleo
ton the prohibitionists will elect
enough members to repeal the law ac-
cepted today.
The prohibition law which has been
repealed was adopted in 1852. Since
that time it's retention has kept Yer
mont in the position of the foremost
prohibition state. and this fact, 1t is be-
lieved, will exert considerable influence
upon Vermont's neighboring states of
Maine and New Hampshire, which are
now hesitating as to the wisdom of dry
laws.
The first state in the country to at
tempt policy of actual and complete
prohibition was Maine. The trial last
ed five years and the law was repealed
in 1855. Three years subsequently 1t
was re-enacted, and Maine has been
dry state ever since. In 1884 the law
was made part Of the state consti
tuition.
In 1855 New Hampshire passed pro-
hibition statute. and in 1888 the people
voted to have prohibition incorporated
in the constitution.
Altogether there are now only four
prohibition states in the American re-
public These are Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Kansas and North Dakota. Kan
sas adopted the law In 1881 and North
Dakota In 1889.