East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-05-27

Eight states of the union with
statewide prohibition laws on Janu-
airy 1 of next year, with the addition
OF North Carolina as result of yes
terday's special election. That the
Tar Heels would vote for a dry
state was a foregone conclusion.
The war between the friends and
| opponents OF the rum demon" in
North Carolina has been the most
spectacular in the history of the tenn
perance movement, despite the fact
that from the first the "drys" we're
sure of victory.
Governor Glenn, who came into
prominence as the defender of states
rights In the regulation of railroads,
has been doing yeoman's service for
the prohibition cause. United States
Judge Peter c. Prltchard, who was
Glenn's opponent in the railroad fight
has been fighting shoulder to shoul-
der with the governor Practically
all of the dozen North Carolina con-
gressmen have taken part in the bat
tie, arrayed under the milk white
banner of temperance.
VETS Fight Losing Battle.
1t has been a great fight, although
the enemy was defeated from the
start, and fought with the desperation
OF a man who is down and all but
counted out.
North Carolina will join the ranks
InP cta al To 4
1909, as will Mississippi and Alabama.
Maine began the prohibition move
ment in 1855, Kansas followed suit in
1880, and North Dakota got in line in
1889. Oklahoma came into the union
as a prohibition state last year and
Georgia's prohibition law went into
effect on January 1 of this year.
Already there is great rejoicing at
the Washington headquarters Of the
Anti-Saloon league, over the prospect
i've victory In North Carolina, and the
prophets of the dry" cause assert
that the entire south and a goodly
portion of the rest of the country will
be under statewide prohibitory laws
within the next year or two.
Big Spots Elsewhere.
In addition to the eight totally
dry states, present and prospective,
there are In other commonwealths
nearly 1900 counties, almost 10000
towns and townships and 1876 cities.
with populations ranging up to 150,-
600, which have been made "dry" by
local option elections.
There are IL cities, each having a
population OF more than $4,000 that
are dry" and 10 whose population
is between 10000 and $4,000 Many
of the States have been swept close
to prohibitory laws by the spread of
local option sentiment; one-half of
Nebraska is without saloons: of the
241 counties in Texas 152 are dry"
29 OF the 55 counties in West Virgin
la have shut out the saloons; 66 OF
the 100 counties OF Virginia have
adopted local option; "a of the lib
counties of Missouri are in the local
option column: in Ohio three coun-
ties and 1921 townships and small
towns have voted against liquor, while
in Minnesota 1911 townships and VIII
lagos are dry.
As n result of recent local option
elections in Illinois, a large portion of
the state, outside the large cities,
is in "dry" territory
So persistent have the Masachu-
sets anti-saloon campaigners waged
their war that rs per cent of the ter
ritory of the state is under prohibit
tory law; 75 per cent of Minnesota is
"dry," while Kentucky, the home of
moOnshine whisky since the revolu-
tion, now has but four counties who'll
ly wet"
Even the Mormons have caught the
fever, and it is confidently asserted
that Utah will before long swing in
with the local option column.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey are
admitted to be the hardest nuts to
crack in the matter of getting laws
that will permit the voters to say
whether or not they wish to keep the
saloon in the townships, counties and
cities of the commonwealth.
1t is asserted by the officers Of the
National Anti-Saloon league that in
two years IL more states will enact
constitutional prohibitory laws, and
that in 1S others similar statutes will
be declared in the legislatures, with
every indication of speedy adoption.
Leaders Have Confidence
With the same confidence it is de-
clared by the leaders in the temper
ance movement that county option
mills will be adopted in II states In
the next two years, and that not only
will Pennsylvania and New Jersey be
we'll speckled with dry" territory by
that time, but that great invasion of
the "wet" territory west of the Mis-
sissippi will be made by the local op-
tion revolution. Arizona, California,
Oregon, Colorado, Montana, Idaho
and Washington have local option
laws and the only states in the west
completely under license rule are New |
Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming.
The battle has ben delayed in the lat
ter territory, 1t is stated, because of |
the comparatively small population in
the great section.
While the battle Of the bottle has
been waged at the ballot box and in |
legislative halls, war has been con-
Quoted with equal vigor In the en-
forcement of the license laws in
many of the large cities, so that Sun
day closing of the saloons is in full
force in nearly all Of the large cities
of the union. The chief exceptions
are New York, Chicago, San Francis