The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1907-04-24
GREENSBORO
GOES "WET."
Valiant Fighters For Temperance
Are Defeated at l.
Polls. y

Greensboro, KY, April 2o.-The wave
of local optibn which has been sweeping
over Kentucky for several months witt
almost phenomenal success was met ir
Owensboro to-day by the united forces
of the liquor interests of the city snc
state, and after a combat, unequaled for
intensity in the Blue Grass Common
wealth, the citizens voted for the reten-
ton of AZ saloons in the county seat Of
Daviess.
The "wets" in Owensboro received a
majority of 442 out Of total Of 5,496,
one Of the largest votes ever polled in
the city. The election to-day was Of
vital interest to liquor men, as if it had
gone for the "drys" it is believed every
city in Kentucky, with the exception Of
Louisville, would have been in danger
of having the saloons voted out Consid-
ering the able leaders on the side Of the
-prohibitionists and the veteran
like manner in which they delivered the
negro vote to the side Of the "wets," the
temperance advocates put up game
fight, and never lost hope until the last
precinct had been heard from.
The liquor men got their vote out
and we did not" said prohibitionist
leader tonight. There were over 600
of the registered v"teis who did not get
to the polls to-day.
In the county the "drys" were victori-
Gus by a good ma jority. The election in
the city, under the county unit law, was
separate from the county election.
There were only two precincts outside
of the city where liquor was sold.
Gloom reigns in the camp Of the local
option leaders tonight, but they say
they will not give up the fight. A mass
meeting will be held tomorrow after
noon when steps will be taken to renew
the fight three years hence, the earliest
possible time another election can be
held in the county as a whole.
Before noon today until all of the re-
turns were in people thronged the streets.
Hundreds from distance were here to
watch the fight. 1t is estimated that at
4 o'clock this afternoon between 10000
and $4,000 people were on the streets,
marching and counter marching and
cheering as the returns were posted.
Shortly after o'clock this morning
hundreds of women were making their
way to the First Christian church, where
at S o'clock a sunrise prayer service was
held, fully 900 women being present.
At the same hour a great gathering of
children formed at the Third Baptist
church, offered up prayers for the sue
cess of the Prohibition cause in the test
of ballots about to begin,
Singing their battle hymns the wo-
men later formed in double file, with
streaming banners, flags and notices,
and marched to the polls. In front of
each voting place they deployed, planted
their banners and sang hymns, disband-
ing only for lunch. Again at o'clock
the women met at the Christian church,
offered up another prayer, and started
again on the tramp to the places where
fathers, husbands, brothers and sons
were voting. All afternoon they marched
and counter marched from Owensboro's
center to its circumference, and the
children took their part in this parade of
the unenfranchised army.
Lunch was served at every voting
place by the women, a continuous prayer
service was held from o'clock in the
morning until 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
and each hour the leaders were changed,
nearly all of the Prohibition workers
taking part at some time during the day.