East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-09-19
s FIGHT
WAS OVER LIQUOR
BIG DEMOCRATIC GAINS
DUE TO BREWERY WAR.
Fight Was WarmeSt Ever Known and
Turned Strongest Republican Coun-
the emOcratIc-Governo Hanley's
Attempt TO Enact Local option Law
VIII Enter Into National Campaign
Also-Liquor Men Threaten More
Fight

indianapolis, Ind, Sept. 19.-In the
fight just ended in Delaware county
over the election Of a representative
in the state legislature to serve dur
ing the special session that opens to-
day, was waged the bitterest struggle
this state has ever known between the
forces that stand for progress in deal
ing with the liquor question and those
that are seeking to break down the
present remonstrance law and substl-
tute the brewers plan Of local option
by wards and townships.
The activity of the liquor interests,
backed by the powerful finances and
influence of the brewery combine,
gave this contest a different aspect
from all former legislative campaigns
i'm this county and differentiated 1t, In
fact, from all political contests Of
whatever character that have taken
place since the county was organized
Ordinarily fight for the election OF
members Of the legislature In Della
ware county would attract very little
attention outside Of the county. The
normal republican plurality is about
5000. President Roosevelt carried
the county by 5400. Marion county
often gives larger republican plural
tiles than Delamare, but there is an
old and time-tested saying that for
a general batting average there is no
more reliable republican county In
the state than Delaware.
The brewers are not blind to the
past political preferences Of Delaware
county. but they stake their faith to
the proposition that while the county
L. republican II is also liberal" or,
tc speak more explicitly, the city of
Muncie, with its 1O1 saloons, is re-
garded as decidedly a liberal" CEN
ter.
The brewers and the brewery sa-
loon keepers, therefore, plunged into
the fight with a determination and an
audacity that suggested the last energy
OF desperation. They began immedi-
ately after the call for the special ses-
sion was promulgated and for sever
al days. while the good citizens of the
city slept at the switch. they were
busy making hay. As a result they
got the advantage Of long start, but
the best citizenship o fthe city at last
became aroused and both sides went
at It hammer and tongs.
1t is questionable what the intent
of the liquor forces that are operating
here really Is. Undoubtedly, they are
acting under direction of men higher
up in the brewery-saloon combine, a
view more generally shared by the
politicians OF this county Is that they
hope to carry Muncie and to reduce
the normal republican majority in the
county as a whole to such a large eX-
tent as to give encouragement and
ck,er to the brewery democratic alli-
ance over the state, and thus inspire
their followers all over Indiana to
work harder for the election of the
democratic state and legislative tick
cts.
1t is known as an absolute ce'tain-
ty as this county shows large falling
off in the republican vote yesterday
that fact will be heralded by the
brewery combine as an indication that
the people of Indiana are not favord-
BILE to county local option. Tie COM
bine, it is believed, hopes T. get at
least that much capital or campaign
thunder" out of the election here.