The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-20

Special TO The Tribune
POCATELLO, Ida, June 19.-The
saloon is doomed in Bannock county
that is, if plans OF the anti-saloon peo-
pie now being put into execution bring
forth the desired results. The denomi-
national ministers and other active
churchmen here have allied themselves
with the Mormons in a crusade to abol-
ish the saloon,
Acting in accordance with the pro-
visions of the local option measure
passed al the last session of the Idaho
Legislature, petitions are being circu-.
lated throughout the city Of Pocatello
and Bannock county For signatures, the
petitions TO bc presented to the board
of county commissioners at their July
meeting. and asking that an election
be called to determine the question
whether Bannock county shall be wet
or dry. 1t will require 10 per cent
Of the voters whose names must be
attached to the petition before the
county board can take legal cognIzance
of the same, and in case the signatures
total 40 per cent of the vote cast for
secretary Of state at the last election
the board must call a special election
in from thirty to sixty days. In such
an event there will be witnessed the
only real live campaign pulled off in
BaDnock county for number Of years,
With sixteen saloons and several
wholesale liquor houses in Pocatello.
the saloon people are hopeful Of being
able to hold their own in the city, but
they fear the vote Of the county, which
is beyond their control or influence.
But the latter are relying greatly on
what they claim is technical defect
in the law, there being, they assert, no
provision made for meeting the expense
OF special election. and they will
probably endcayor TO enJOin the county
commissioners from calling the special
election in case the required number
of signatures are secured to the petit
ton. In this way they would lay the
foundation for a test case in the courts.
The question forms the chief topic
of discussion in the city, and even the
MAYOR is accused of an adrolt move TO
quell the progress of the prohibition
movement, The other evening at
meeting Of the city council the mayor
intimated very strongly that it would
be necessary to curtail expenses IN view
of the prospect Of a big decrease in
revenue, should the county go dry"
and he thought it might be well to
see If there were any legal barrier in
the way Of the city abrogating the
light and street sprinkling contracts.
The fact that it will be from
thirty to sixty days from the date of
the next meeting Of the county commits
sioners before the election can be held,
and an additional extension of time
being allowed the saloon men Of about
six months in which TO close up their
business, gives room for the accusation
that the mayor was little hasty in
suggesting such n radical move on the
part of the city, and the adherents of
reform claim he was simply making an
argument in behalf of the saloons, en-
deavoring to frighten the public by de-
picting The dire results they would reap
through the determination Of the sa-
looms.
The city revenue derived from liquor
licenses amounts TO between $4,000
and Sl4. 900 yearly, half of which goes
to the school fund. How this revenue
would be made up furnishes a good
argument for those championing the
cause of the "wets.
The "antis' are working quietly,
but determnedly, and express conf
dence that there is not the least doubt
ahout securing the requisite number Of
sirners, and predict that 1t Will only
| he a matter of time when there will
be no saloons in Bannock county.
In talking to a prominent politician
from Boise the other day. The Tribune
representative was told that the fight
would become general all over the state
and was involving II life and death
struggle for Governor James II. Brady,
Unless the local optionists show some
strengthen fact become n dominating
power iu state poIitics-Governor