Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1908-04-18
PO TIC AL
Anti-racing Reform Checked.

! AntI-racing Reform Checked.
When the bills to prevent race track
gambling came up for final action be-
| fore the New York state senate, April
8, enough votes had been changed by
| the influence of the racing forces to
make a tie vote Of % to Is. Lieuten-
ant Governor Chanler, presiding, had
! not the power to cast deciding vote,
but he entertained a motion to recon-
slider and so gave the reform side an
other chance. Then on April 8 came
a smashing special message demanding
the enactment of these measures to
comply with the constitution. To
friends he made it plain that he would
call an extra session if necessary.
Ryan Fund Story Revised.
The widely published report that
Thomas F. Ryan, the multimillionaire
head of the New York traction system,
had told the special grand jury that
$500. 900 of the proceeds Of the paper"
ferries line was used to refund political
campaign contributions made by Whit
ney, Widener, Elkins, Dolan and him
cGll AdS ikV" UCCu uCuAGA OAuSA V0SA
by Ryan. The denial and correction
came while he was being examined
az q witness in the suit Of minority
stockholders Of the Metropolitan Street
railway, who claim they were deceived
by the directors. Ryan when question
ed about the payments from the ferries
road deal said it was in settlement of a
debt Of the company, but would not
specify, admitting that it was done at
the dictation of the late w. G. Whit
ney, who then controlled the Metro
politan. 1t was in the nature Of re-
endorsement for sums advanced by
the parties interested two years before.
States Split on Local Option.
The saloon question was answered
variously at the polls in three states
April Illinois, Wisconsin and Ne
braska. In thousand townships of
Illinois this was the burning issue after
a campaign full of intense feeling
and bitterness. Unusual electioneering
methods were in vogue. Women led in
prayer meetings, and the church bells
in some places rang frequently to re-
mind the voters of their duty. Tents
were erected near the voting places and
hot coffee and rolls served to voters
against the saloon. Wagons loaded
with children carrying banners and
singing temperance songs were driven
through the streets. Church choirs led
in public hymn singing. While these
methods and others helped to win most
of the smaller towns and some larger
ones to local option, majority of the
cities of Illinois sustained the saloon
on a high license basis. In the latter
list stood such cities as Springfield,
Aurora. Elgin, Kankakee, Blooming
ton, Danville, Joliet and Alton, while
the optionists carried Rockford. Deca-
tur, Galesburg. Dixon and many small
er places.
In Wisconsin the Anti-saloon league
met with defeat, the appeal for per-
sonal liberty having great weight with
the German population, and several
towns which went dry two years ago
were won back to the saloon.
In Nebraska 800 cities and towns
voted on the license issue. Early re-
turns indicated that the area of dry
ness would be increased to one-half.
At Lincoln the issue was between COM
plete prohibition and restriction of
saloon hours to daylight or from {
a. m. to I p. N. A small majority for
the restricted saloon was returned.
Elections on the liquor issue were
held in fourteen counties Of Michigan
April 6, and ten of these went dry.
Taft For Woman Suffrage.
Secretary Taft, upon reaching Gin
cinnati for rest among old friends
after his trip west. expressed the be-
lief that woman suffrage will come
eventually.