The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-04-07
FIERCE
FIGHT In
ILLINOIS
"W ET S" AND DRY 81
LOCKED IN MIGHTY
STRUGGLE TODAY
VOTE ON ABOLISHING
BOOZE IN PUBLIC HOUSES
~--~--s
Contest Has Involved Bust
ness, Religious and Social
Organizations
special to paIlr Ieader.

DEttidA ~ Afdity 4atauttl
Chicago III, Aprn Z Shall this
town become anti-saloon territory?'
In more than 200 cities, villages.
and townships IN Illinois outside Of
Chicago this question will be answer
ed al the polls to-day aud on April FL
: The voting on this question of public
policy the culmination OF a hard
fought battle between the anti-saloon
organizations and The liquor interests
Upon the answer to the question:
given by the people will depend the
extent to which Illinois viii be a pro-
bibiilon sts.s for the next two years.
az the question should carry overwhel-
mingly in the Affirmative more than
eighty out Of the l02 counties IN the
state viii become dry" territory.
With only moderate degree of sue
cess the reform forces will wrest
more than half the state from The hold
of the saloon interests
The prevailing opinion Is hit the
antisaloon people have the best OF
the situation While both sides gave
out confident predictions OF victory
last night there wore many indica.
tions that the liquor interests realize
they are facing q desperate struggle
for self-preservation James K
Shields, superintendent OF the Anti
Saloon Of Illinois, gave out a lengthy
official statement in which he asserted
his organization would carry AT least
900 Of the 200 communities. AT the
headquarters "a the saloon urganiza-
Tons the leaders asserted they would
win N "a majority OF the townships. .
Dry Belt Around Chicago.
II the drys carry the day there viii
be a revolution in civic conditions
ihroughout tue state. To the citizens
Of Chicago 81 viii be particularly no.
ticeable- Chicago IN bat event not
only VIII be the only urge city con
tainlng saloons. but it win be sur
rounded ia an probability by a wide
belt of dry territory closing In upon
The city limits on All sides.
IN chicago there Is 10 be no local
option hght the law having been SO
framed as to eliminate this city. The
hight over the Sunday closing ques-
ton also dRlndled THROUGH the deci-
sion against the placing Of the ones.
lion on the little ballot, into an alder
manic contest In certain wards. But
all around the outskirts of the city
the arine viii be hoi aud continuous.
ln eleven Cork county townships
contiguous TO Chicago and containing
the nearest suburbs. the citizens vote
OF the saloon question. The town
ships are Darlington, New Trier
Hanover, aine, Proviso, Palos, Calr.
met, Lyons, Orland, Thorton and
Bloom. u these townships 70 dry
Chicago viii be giIdled By score OF
prohibition suburbs, while the gum.
mer gardens and road houses on the
outskirts OF the city either win have
70 become temperance resorts or close
their doors.
Then Whole State ls Atht5s4.
Then out and beyond This belt OF
dry territory Chicago, ia tAe event OF
prohibition success, viii look forth
on a state dry IN SO many spots that
he damp places viii be conspicuous
By their ISOLATION, The antisaloon
peoplp are confident Of winning in
Rockford. Waukegan. Elgin. Rock
Island Galesburg. Bloomington. Dan
VILE and Decatur. Even la Spring.
field, Joliet and Aurora the rising
wave of their movement IN the last