Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-11-13
THE ANI|..SALOONSTS
Prohibition Question TO be SUBJ
mItted in % Michigan
Counties,
ORGANIZING FOR THE FIGHT
Local Associations Being Formed to
Circulate Petition and Awaken
Public Sentiment.

The Anti-Saloon league last Saturday
gave out the names of % counties in
which they will SUBMIT local option
at the coming spring OF fall elections
if they can geethe necessary petitions.
As they are well organized, seem to
have plenty OF money and are making
their fight along sane lines. it is likely
they will get the matter subm itted in
most counties. The % are St Joseph,
Branch Barry. Kalamazoo. Calhoun,
Eaton, Ionia, Clinton, Montcalm, Gra-
tiot, Newaygo Mecosta, Midland, Lake
Osceola Clare. Gladwin. Wexford.
Misssukee- Benzie, Grand Traverse,
Kslkaska spd Lelanau.
The league is well organized appsr-
emily well provided with money and
seem about TO make the hardest fe ht
il mas ever made in Michigan for the
principles TO which it adheres
Rev. George.W. Morrow of Detroit,
is state president and Pliny W. Marsh
Of the same city is legal advisor of the
league. Rev. ~ O. Holsaple of Grand
Rapids has charge OF the work in this
part of the state and has opened an
Office at $40 Michigan Trust building.
Mr.. Holsaple or Mr.. Morrow will o.
ganize the work in each of the coun-
ties mentioned. They will, through
the pastors of the churches and news
papers. call county meetings for the
purpose of forming county sssocia-
tions. These county associations when
formed viii devote themselves to the
job-of getting the necessary names for
a petition to submit the question of
prohibiting the sale of liquor in that
county. When the matter is put up to
the people, campaigns will be carried
on in favor of the proposition. The
ministers will be asked to take lead
in part and every effort will be made
to see that the vote is favorable
That the liquor people are somewhat
alarmed by the situation is to be seen
by the expressions in The Grand Rap
ids Herald of Sunday when wholesale
I liquor dealer said that the saloon bust
ness needed reformation in some re-
spects al d pledged the liquor and brew
/ ing interests TO that reformation.
The prohibition of the sale of liquor
has been submitted in l3 counties from
( 1890 to 1906. Ten of these 10 have
been dry at one time or other dur
ing that period. But two Of them are
now in the dry column. They are
Oceans and Van Buren, Gratiot gave
600 and Shiawassee almost 300 against
prohibition while Calhoun turned it
down worst of all going wet ia
1892 by vote of 3 l65 for prohibition
to 4, 1872 against it,
Van Buren and Eaton have had the
widest experiencre. the question hav-
ing been submitted five times In each
county. Nan Buren has remained con-
sistently drv the majorities having
ranged from $40 in 1892 to l540 in 1897
and having been 100 in 1906 when it
was lastssubmitted.
Eaton went for prohibition in 1892
and 1898. against il in 1899. for it in
1902 and against il in 1904 record of
Inconsistency that pretty near runs the
whole ganut
The majority against il in 1904 was
about 500 while at the first two cleo
tions the county went dry by 600
and ,, 00O
The drys' seem 60 have had the
best success in agricultural counties
and realizing this fact the campaign
of the coming year is to be carried on
mainly among that class of counties.