The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1909-11-19
What Shall the Verdict BE?

Wnat small the Nerulct
With a persistence worthy Of
better cause the friends of the
open saloon and free whisky
with all their attendant evils,
misery and crime, are again be
stirring themselves in an effort
to fasten upon Van Buren, county
the iniquitous and unholy traffic
in intoxicating drinks.
For twenty years, most of the
time single handed and alone,
the good people Of this county
have set the seal of their most
emphatic disapproval upon the
rum traffic. Like an oasis in the
desert, Van Buren, was, for many
years, the only county in Mich.
gan to Danish the saloon from
its borders, but, eventually, some
of her sister counties followed
her laudable example, until al
the present time there are thirty
dry counties in the state, with an
excellent prospectthat there will
be large addition to their mum.
bers at the next April election.
In view Of the fact that our
county has for a score Of years
ranged itself onthe side of mo-
rality, temperance and good or
der, the following statement may
prove of public interest. 1t was
taken from the official records
and shows what has ever been
the sentiment Of the voters of
the county on the question Of the
prohibition of the liquor traffic.
The first time the voters Of this
county were called upon to ex-
press their opinion at the ballot
box on the question of the liquor
traffic, was in June, 1858, at a
special election at which the
question of the adoption of pro-
hibitory law was submitted to
the electors of this state
Van Buren, county's vote was
as follows, as shown by the an
cient returns on file in the Office
of the county clerk: Yes, 707;
no, 4l2; a prohibitory majority
of 295.
The second test of the senti-
ment of the electors of the coun-
ty was had in November, 1876.
A law prohibiting the manufac-
ture and sale of intoxicating liq-
uors had been on the statute books
since 1855, but it was not so
framed and had not been so en-
forced as to win the approval of
the people. The constitution of
the state then contained the fol-
lowing clause: "The legislature
shall not pass any act authoriz.
ing grant Of license for the sale
Of ardent spirits or other intoxi.
eating liquors. E" The question of
striking out this clause was
submitted to vote in November,
1877. Van Buren, county voted,
no, 1,056; yes, l,044; a majority
Of II against the proposition.
This is the closest vote in the
entire history of the county on
the liquor traffic question.
In April, 1877, a proposed
prohibitory amendment was sub
mitted TO the people and on this
VanBuren's vote was as follows:
Yes, I'LL; no, /, $40, a majority
of 3, 562 in favor Of the amend
ment, which failed of adoption
only because of the adverse vote
of the county of Wayne
The legislature of 1887 enacted
a local option law, under the pro-
visions of which an election was
held in this county as soon as
practicable. The vote at tina t
election was as follows: Yes,
1907; no, 1876, a majority of
3,241 in favor Of the law. Moth
ing was gained by this vote, as
the supreme court shortly after
ward declared the law to be un-
constitutional.
Another local option law which
avoided the constitutional objec-