The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-02-02
SALOON OR NO SALOON.
HOW Van Buren, County Has Voted at Pre-
vious Contests


were called upon to express their opinion
at the ballot box, on the question of the
liquor traffic, was in June, 1853, at
special election at which the question of
the adoption of prohibitory law was
submitted to the electors of this state.
Van Buren, county's vote was as follows,
as shown 10y the ancient returns on file in
the Office of the county clerk: Yes 707;
no 4l2; prohbitory majority of 800.
The second test of the sentiment of the
electors of the county was had In Novem-
Der, 1876. A law prohibiting the manu-
facture and sale of Intoxicating liquors
had been on the statute books since 1850,
but it was not so framed and had not
been so enforced as to win the approval
of the people, The constitution OF the
state then contained the following clause;
1.-The legislature shall not pass any act
authorizing grant of license for the sale
of ardent spirits or other intoxicating
liquors" The question of striking out
this clause was submitted to a vote in
November, 1876. Van Buren, county
voted, no ,056, yes ,044, a majority of II
against the proposition to remove the
prohibitory clause from the constitution.
This is the closest vote in the entire
history of the county on the liquor traffic
question.
In April, 1871 proposed prohibitory
amendment was submitted to the people,
and on this Van Burens vote was as
follows: Yes I'LL; no l, $40; majority
of 3, 562 in favor of the amendment, which
failed of adoption only because of the
adverse vote of the county of Wayne
The legislature of 1887 enacted a local
option law, under the provisions of which
an election was held in this county as
soon as practicable. The vote at the
election was as follows: Yes 1857 no 456;
a majority of 3,24l 10 favor Of the law.
Nothing was gained by this vote, as the
supreme court shortly afterward declared
the law to be unconstitutional.
Another local option law, which avoided
the constitutional objections to the law
of 1887, was enacted by the legislature of
1889 Under the provisions of this act,
an election was held in this county on the
oath day of February, 1890, which result
ed 10 its adoption 10y the following vote:
Yes 1888; 40 800; majority of l ,279 in
favor of the law, every township voting
in the Affirmative. This law became
operative on the LIST day of May, 1890,
and has remained In force since that
time.
September 3, 1892, the question was
again submitted and the law was sustain
ed by the following vote: Yes 2,9l8; no
2,45O; majority of 46S in favor of the
law.
The opponents of local option in 1895
again petitioned for submission of the
question, but the supervisors found so
many Irregularities in the petition that
they refused to call an election. A simi-
lar fate befel' set of petitions that were
filed in 1896.
10 1897, however, the friends of the
open saloon succeeded in securing petit
tions that passed the scrutiny of the
board, and an electionswas ordered to be
held on the lst day of November of that
year. Again the electors of the county
sustained the law, and by largely in
creased vote, as follows; Yes, 4,l55; no
2,6l2, majority of l,545.
Five years elapsed before the enemies
of the law again bestirred themselves,
the next submission of the question be-
ing on the 9Th day of April 1903, The
advocates of the open saloon again met
with overwhelming defeat the vote being
as follows: Yes, 476; no, 3,077; majority
in favor of the law, 1893.
On the I'd day of April next, Van Blu
rem county voters will again be called
upon to register their will on the ques-
ton of saloon or no saloon. For 16 years
. the traffic has been barred within our
borders. 1t may be reversed on that oc-
casion, but such a result is extremely
improbable. Never yet in the entire his
tory of the county has its vote been re-
corded in favor of the liquor traffic and
it is altogether unlikely that the APP
preaching election will show any retro
grade sentiment on the question. Let
.the good people of this county, the
friends OF morality, sobriety, good order
and good citizenship be on the alert; see
to it that every voter favorable to the
law is at the polls and votes Yes as
the question is not shall the law be re-
pealed?" but "Shall the traffic be pro-
hIbitedi"
Let no one be influenced by the false