The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-04-09
EFFECT OF COUN-
TY LOCAL OPTION
1T IS SAID WITH LOCAL OP-
TION BY COUNTIES ALL
COUNTIES IN INDIANA
BUT TWELVE
WILL BE
DRY.

Under a local option law with the
county as the unit, the liquor traffic
will certainly be ousted from all coun
ties of the State except twelve. This
in effect, is the statement of leaders
of the Indiana Anti-Salaon League
in discussing the plank OF the Repub
lican State platform which declares
for county local option.
The local option law by counties
with the present remonstrance laws
will give us a better combination
against the liquor traffic than that of
any other State, except Ohio said
f. NJ Barney. superintendent of the
Indianapolis district for the Indiana
Anti-Saloon League "In Ohio the
remonstrance law was patterned after
our renonstrance law, and at the last
cal option law with the county as the
unit was enacted"
The Indiana Anti-Saloon League
keeps a close tab on all of the town
ships of the State and Mr. Barney,
with Il glance at State map, sized up
the situation as it will be with good
county local option law on the statute
books In Indiana, he explained, there
are eighteen counties in which all of
the townships are dry" at present,
having been won over by the temper
ance people by means of the present
remonstrance laws There are forty
three other counties in the State in
which a majority of the voters live in
dry territory. Thus in sixty-one
counties, the Anti-Saloon League has
practical poll majority of the voters
on the liquor question. The majority
Af the voters living in dry" territory
in the forty-three counties alluded 10
is so great, it is believed by the Ar
Saloon League, that there as no doubt
these counties would go "dry" under
local OPTION elecuOn.
There are then thirty-one counties
in the State in which the majority OF
voters are still in "wet" territory. In
nineteen OF these remaining counties,
the townships are going "dry" at the
rate OF ten a month and it is fair to
presume the Anti-Saloon League
thinks that it will soon have excel
lent chances for victory under To-.
cal option election in these counties
This leaves the twelve counties in
whic hthe victory for the league will
mean a long pull an da strong pull.
These twelve counties are the coun-
ties having the larger cities and con-
sequently large class OF unreliable
citizens. 1t has been difficult to get
the necessary majority TO demonstrate
the saloons out of business. The
floating vote in these counties is
heavy.
"But the present remonstrance law
an dthe local option law. as proposed,
will give us an excellent combination
in the thirty-on& counties where a
majority of the Npters still live in
wet territory sand Mr.. Barney
"By the remonstrance law we can
work gradually until we have major
ity of the voters in dry territory
Then, after this has been accomplish
ed. we will feel fairly safe in calling
local option election and finishing
our task We expect to have saving
clause i nthat local option law. too.
1t will provide that in case local
option election in any county goes
against MS, the status of the dry
townships shall in no way be affected
Mr. Barney says local option by
counties is just the thing desired by
the league Local option by wards
and townships he explained, would
pffer unbranded opportunity for the
Dcolonoizatin of voters by the saloon
element 1t will be more difficult,
and. in fact, It will be impraSticable
TO attempt to colonize enough voters
to carry whole county against re-
form A good local option law. with
the county as the unit, In addition to
the present remonstrance laws, Is as
much as could be desired"