Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-03-11
LOCAL OPTION
IN BARRY COUNTY

and because OF an awakened public
curiosity the advent of a single case
Of lager becomes general knowledge
| almost Immediately and the name
| Of the consignee is just as widely
known and discussed. OF course
| bottled whisky comes In by the hip
pocket route and this cannot be pre-
vented, but the authorities can take
care of any jags produced by the
| hip pocket route or acquired in a
possible blind pig" or from pre-
scription whisky and this is the Sc
cret OF success.
1t is estimated by the citizens that
not one-tenth of the liquor consumed
in the days OF the saloon is drank
under the local option regime. And
it is true that the greater portion OF
money formerly devoted to the pur-
chase of intoxicating refreshment,
has been diverted into either chan
nels of trade. Debts are paid and
food, fuel and clothing purchased
| for cash.
| AFTER a Bitter Campaign.
i 1t was a bitter campaign which
| eliminated in the abonIlon OF the
saloon in Barry county. Vaudeville
| was counted one of the hopes of
the liberals. The township, how
ever, returned majority of eighty
three for prohibition. The county
| went dry by a margin of some / 800.
Hastings vote was a little in favor
of the saloon. The winning by the
conservatives in Vaudeville was the
first step toward breaking up the
group that had controlled village
and town government for years.
When local option had won there
came the cry that the law would be
farce; that it would not and could
not be enforced 1t certainly start
ed off under heavy handicap. To
begin with fire wiped out eight bust
ness institutions in Vaudeville. Then
came a drought which ruined the
bean crop and damaged practically
every other. There was the panic
and later the embargo placed upon
the shipment of stock and hay. The
traditional drag upon business Of the
presidential campaign was another
handicap and locally the burden was
increased by the village government
which heaped the lump assessment
for sidewalk extensions that had
been deemed too heavy for any one
year of the liquor regime upon the
village while il was laboring to
demonstrate prohibition a success.
Vaudeville carried the load and
came through smiling. She paid
the regular and special taxes and yet
business doomed. 1t was banner
year and the merchants are almost a
unit in their testimony that local OPP
ton was not only not an injury to
commercial activity. but had proved
a benefit
Those who fought for local option
in Vaudeville intend TO wrest the
} control OF governmental affairs from
the hands of the ring" as they
choose to call the men now in con-
troll. candidates for the union ticket
have been carefully chosen for their
} fitness and courage and will be ar
J rayed against the citizens ticket
which is the party in power, at the
coming spring election.
|. The Situation at the County Seat.
In Hastings. local potion labored
under similar handicap except that
there was no smallpox. The show
ing, however, is as markedly In ia
vor OF the anti-saloon regime. Hast
ings City bank in its latest statement
shows an increase of deposits aggre-
eating more than $4,000 over last
year and the officials of the bank
assert the increase is even greater
today and steadily improving. Every
business man who deals directly with
the working classes Is enthusiastical-
ly believer in continuing prohibit
ton. Management of the factories
unhesitatingly commend 1t. There
Vile and Hastings who stand sorrow
fully about on Saturday night and
deplore the lack of noise and glitter
of the old times. They point to the
early deserted streets as an indica-
ton of commercial inactivity due to
local option.
The streets are unquestionably de.
serted earlier, but Ii is declared this
is no indication that the farmer is
staying away or purchasers have no
funds or the inclination to place
them in circulation The farmers
come early. Their money. 1t appears
goes into necessities and a few lux.
uries for the person and the home
instead OF defraying the cost of re-
| curing rounds of drinks or pool and
billiards. Today there is none OF
the subtle call of doubtful good fel-
lowship to tempt the weak willed
Business men and bankers in Hast
ings will relate to anyone interested
enough to ask the story of a score
OF instances where prohibition has
literally made 1t possible for a weak
fellow to lift himself out of the mir
of debt and poverty. Vaudeville
offers long list of individual ex-
amples of local options good Offices
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC
From Governor Hanly's Speech M
Grand Rapids, June IL, 1908.
Personally, | have seen so muct
of the evils OF the liquor traffic In
the last four years. SO much OF Its
economic waste. so much of its physi-
cal ruin. SO much of its mental blight
so much of it's tears and heartache
that / have come to regard the bust
ness as one that must be held and
controlled by strong and effective
laws. bear no malice towards
those engaged In the business, but
hate the traffic.
hate its every phase. hate II
II