Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1908-04-04
KEEN FIGHT IN ILLINOIS
Prohibition Question Attracts the At.
tention of Two Thousand Cities
and Villages.
Special to the Herald.

anu mOSI- GAleuSlNe llSHI Tie plOHlUi
tionists have ever made in Illinois il
nearing the finish. Next Tuesda!
nearly two thousand cities and vii
lagos will vote on the question o
wet or dry" The contest is being
waged in some portion of every coun
ty in the state except twelve, most O
which went dry last November.
In some of the cities the fight ha:
been carried on with an intensity sci
dom equaled, and the lines are being
closely drawn between the friends Of
the saloon and the foes that for the
time being activities in the big politi
cal parties have been brought to a
practical standstill in order that they
may not conflict with the strife over
prohibition.
Every city of Central Illinois, with
the exception of Peoria, will vote up
on the prohibition question. The larg.
est of these is Springfield, the capital
VI Lie SIdIS, WAclS InS loul ISCh IhOu-
sand registered voters will rally to
the polls to decide whether or not
the two hundred and ten saloons of
the city shall be closed As Spring
field is one of the largest cities in the
North to take up this big issue and
put it to vote, people of other cities,
not only throughout Illinois, but ad-
joining states, are watching for the
result
A month or so ago few believed
the Anti-Saloon League in Springfield
could muster force of any proper
: tons, but as the campaign has devel-
oped the anti-saloon element became
so strong and aggressive that the
brewery and saloon interests are said
to have become frightened. They
have collected funds to defend the sa-
looms and have scattered pro-saloon
literature from one end of the town
to the other.
In all the other cities and towns the
campaign has been equally interest
ing. The clergymen are denouncing
the liquor traffic and calling upon
their congregations to unite in voting
it out of existence. Mass meetings
are being held nightly in churches and
public halls. Street orators are ad-
dressing crowds in the public squares,
and the women and children are also
actively engaged in fighting the sa-
looms. Parades with banners are
feature Of the campaign by women
and children in many of the towns. A
house to house canvass by the men,
bers of the w. C. T. u, accompanied
in most instances by little children
who distribute leaflets antagonizing
the saloon and who contribute their
childish plea, is another feature at
tracing attention.
In nearly dozen of the larger cit
les the saloon fight has developed
such bitterness that personal friend
ships are being split, business is d.
vided and political lines are being OBJ
liberated. In Joliet the contest is so
bitter that the business men are split
into two hostile camps that are so
much at loggerheads that trade is
suffering. Merchants who are fight
ing for dry town are being boy
cotted by the brewery and distillery
interests.
Prohibition speakers from outside
have been brought into the state by
the Anti-Saloon League and the pro-
hibition state committee, which is in
charge of the temperance crusade
Among them are Governor Hanly of
Indiana, Governor Hoch of Kansas
and Seaborn Wright, the prohibition
leader in the Georgia legislature.
The Personal Liberty League, re-
Gently organized by the opponents of
prohibition, is equally active, and has
sent out tons of literature. In the
saloons in some of the larger cities
placards are posted showing empty
store buildings in Kansas City, Kas
Over them is the caption, due to the
expulsion of the saloons The camera
cannot lie." The farmers are being
appealed to by posters showing the
decrease in the consumption of grain
If the saloons are abolished
Outside of Chicago only four of the
large cities of Illinois are without
fight over the prohibition question.
They are Quincy, Ottawa, Peoria and
East st. Louis. In the latter city the
question was kept off the ballot be-
cause the petition was filed with the
city clerk instead of with the election
commission
In Springfield, as before stated, the
fight has been most intense. The
state capital has always been a more
or less open city so far as the liquor
interests are concerned. For that
reason the prohibition forces have
gcentered their heaviest artillery on
that citylaud have made it the scene
of their h,f.st Ssyp4eseiva warfare In