The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-10-28
On
REAL WAR
VETS AND DRYS ARE
LINED UP FOB
CAMPAIGN
Petitions May Be Attacked
Regarding Validity
Of Signatures

Although statements were made the
fore part of the week by the liquor
forces that the fight to be made
against the dry" advocates would be
left with the business men and tax
payers, contradictory statements were
given out last night by members or
the committee appointed to take
charge of the campaign for the ''wets."
and all indications point to immcdf-
ate activity on both sides of the is
sue. 1t was planned that attorneys for
the "wets" should today start work on
checking the names on the petition
with those on the registration books
in order to determine the validity of
such signatures, but there was de-
lay, and no names have been checked
today. One of the committeeman in
speaking of the attack to be made
upon the signatures, said:
I'VE expect that fully 800 names
will be striken from the list. We
will prove that many signed the pc
tition and then registered later the
same day. This was done in many
instances. If we should lose out in
this we will hold that the last gen.
eral election was not the last city
election but the last state and county
election, and that instead of only 496
names being required, they should
have secured 730 names" This was
the way the speaker summed up the
entire procedure to be followed
They dare not carry the matter
into court" was the defy that fairly
- hscx1 1Al
Of the dries, after he had learned
what steps the liquor men were to
take.
There were 694 names on the petit
ton filed with City Clerk T. d. s.
Hart, and if the words last general
election" as it reads in the local OPP,
tion law, mean the hast city election,
only 496 names are required. How
ever. if the vets make good and
strike 300 names from the petition
this will leave only 394 signers,
shortage of SO. If the last general
election" means the last state and
county election held a year ago, then
the petition is already short 36
names.
The vets hold that men were in
not know what they were signing.
and that many circulating the petit
tion, upon being told by the citizen
who was asked to attach his sigma
ture, that he (the citizen) had not
registered, said, "HO, that is alright.
Sign and then go and register" The
vets have also stated that on sew
eral occasions men have come and
told them that was the way they
signed it, 1t is further held by the
vets, that some person forged, or
to be forged, one or more
names.
"It is not that we are afraid to let
the question go to a VOTE" said one
Of the liquor men, when approached
last night, "for every heavy tax
payer in the city is with us, but we
have been urged by many to take
up the fight ourselves and this we
intend to do, and see it through to
the end.' This is rather a surprise
as it follows a statement made only
last Sunday that the liquor element
would not make the fight, but in
stead let the property owners make
it, Now that both factions have
trained their guns, the most bitter
in the history of Wala
Walla may be looked for.
Activities in every department can
he looked for from now on. Mem
bers of either faction will from this
on have to fight the battle free and
above board, and all who take hand
will be forced to step into the glare
of the limelight. Heretofore both
Of those who are identified with the
fight from either side have asked that
thew be kept in the background, but