The Washington times., 1908-11-07
Returns From Ohio and IN
diana Check to Pro-
hibition.
STIRS LIQUOR MEN
INTO NEW ACTIVITY
Outcome Is Severe Check to Tenn
perance Movement All
Over Country.
By IOHN SNuPE.

~ > aAAE AlAN " al
The closer the returns from Ohio and
Indiana are analysed. the clearer 1t be-
comes that the elections ia those States
last Tuesday administered a hard blow
to the prohibition movement there. In
fact a severe check was given TO the
prohibition and temperance movement
the country over. II by no means fol-
lows that the auti-saloon forces will
not recover from this check. but It Is
certain that they have been greatly
hindered.
Had the dry forces ia Ohio and in
Indiana given thorough support TO Gov
ernor Harris, in the Buckeye State, and
Representative James f.. Watson. in the
HoOsier state, il is likely each OF these
men would have been elected. Instead,
JudsOn Harmon. who was strongly sup
ported by the liberal elements, and the
liquor forces, has beaten Harris, and
Thomas r. Marshall. who also has the
support of the liquor elements, has
beaten Watson. The returns show that
HarriL failed to run as strongly in the
country districts where the dry SEN
tlmenJ IS powerful as might have been
expected The same is true OF Watson.
4 hTee-fOuFJhs of the townships OF In
township and ward local OpuOu law.
Il might have been reasonably sup
posed mat the voters in those town
ships who had driven out the saloons
would insure the election OF Watson.
Similarly, with as large a share OF ONO
as there Is gone dry IL was natural
10 suppose harris would get So heavy
vote In the country districts, the cEief
seats of the temperance movement, that
the opposition OF lhe liberal voters III
the cities and large EeFEH-E TEETHI NOT
defeat him
Anti-Sal0onists Beaten.
But the Anu-Soloou League. which led
thg night for harris and that tor Wat
sen also has been beaten ia both States,
and the liquor supporters, led gy power
lul brewing ana uIsLuIug interests, nave
won. Aaa the Auu-oasOJu League won
The battles IA these Two States IL would
nave lost ALue time ia pressing IOr-
ward 10 SJaLc-WIlG pI4Lllll-Ju-
Al WAS charged Uy Lle IlQlor forces IN
luC recent campaigns iILL I4lS was tAe
OUJecL OF Lue -AIL-Stlgyu League, and
there can De no uJLLt LLls Was LT4r.
Larry inns year l-e ONO legislature
passed county local UDlUu law, mus
giving tle CyGuLy "a chance 10 vote the
Nity OF town uTy ia buUu many cases,
LleclCAs on Jhe aq-gr question nave
peeA ACl4 ia loIty -ufs counties Out OF
elgnty-elguL Il ONO since september j
ana THESE were carried ~ ali DuL a rev
cases DE the friends Oh mpcIalce. and
the saloons IN these counties uaulsDcd-
IN luNi1AL county local upAJu law
was passed this tall Dy the Legislature
IN special session, and while no elections
CL the liquor question have yet been
Leld under JAat -1". there IS no doubt
that when such elections are held the
coming winter. great atrlIts VIII be
made ~ further driving the saloon out
OF the HOOsIgr State
What Result Means.
Had things gone smoothly for the
Auti-SaIoOn League program. agitation
would have speedily eusIed Tor State
prohibition But the dry. counties IN
Ohio did not hold up the hands of Har-
ris, and the dry" townships in Indiana
did not hold up the hands of Watson.
The result IS that in. both States the
brewing interests viii seek the repeal OF
the county option laws AT least they
Will threaten TO attempt such repeal
Instead OF s0ing, forward, as II would
have done had Harris been elected and
Watson been successful. the Auti-SalOOu
League will be busted Tor d time IA the
effort 10 hold its ground.
So powerful had the Autl-SaloOn
League become in Ohio and Indiana
that the Republican party in those
States took up with 1t, regarding 1t as a
Ig- enforcement that would insure sue
z
VIII tend 10 make many Republicans
skepUCal of the wisdom OF the alliance
though II VIII hardly be possible Tor II
TO be broken. Wayne i. Wheeler is the
directing force of the Auti-SalOoT
League I'm Ohio. and he is one OF tht
most effective organizers to be found
In the matter of organization he has
most political leaders beaten Ito a
FRAGILE He IS a small spare, restless
man, a graduate of Oberlin, ard a Ia W
yer. He goes on the theory that If you
can get a man to contribute TO your
cause YOU have his vote. He has be
come a great power in Ohio politics, and
was largely instrumental in the defeat
OF Myron T. Herrick two years ago.
Served Under Baker.
He served his apprenticeship in Anti
Saloon League politics under p A
Baker, now the national superintendent
of the organization. Under his leader
ship against the brewing and disulline
interests the stock of these concerns de
Preciated sadly IN value in many cases
their business went to the wall, cooper
age houses suffered. and there were
heavy losses to all lines of business il
any way dependent on the liquor trade
These interests have taken heart owe
HarmOnS election and Harris defeat
and {t will be worth while watching thu
struggle that Wheeler and his support
ers will now make to regain WhateVe
thew have lost The Indiana situation
Democrats Ia Indiana, with the lid o
the liquor interests captured the -eglS
lature, and IN that state the threat q
repeal Of the county local option law
that Governor Hauly forced through
viii be more serious than in the Buck
er-