The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-11-03

SENTIMENT RAFIDLY CHANGING.
A careful poll has been taken
during the last ten days Of practic-
ally every county IN the state aud
il show that sentiment against
Statewide Prohibition is steadily
gaining in every section. 1t shows
that many counties which gave a
big maj jty FIR local option will
give s s%ubstant'zi n jari,y against
S ate-Wide Prohibition. The com
ment OF those who went over the
situation in the ferent counties
furnishes the best reason for this
shift Of pubic ointment. In the
FIR I pace, IN every locsi option
contest there were hundreds In
every county who did not go to the
polls to vote. These silent" vot-
ers will take a hand IN the game on
he 9Th Of November aud eight out
Of ten Of them are reported against
the Statewide idea. In the 10
c ,unties which carried local option
there were 1ss 79S who remained
away from the polls, and they will
have to be figured with at The CON-
ing election. Again, there are
thousands, taking the state over,
who voted for local option who are
opposed to Statewide Prohibition
They believe in the right OF LEGAL
seli-government-that it is unfair
to deny to the wet counties and the
large cities a right which they ex-
ercised for themselves. Taken all
in all, there is no more powerful
factor against the State wide Pro-
hibition Amendment than this one.
If It is fair 10 vote the whole state
dry It Is equally fair TO vote the
whole state wet, This is an argu-
ment which is absolutely unans-
werable and It is having a tremend
Gus effect all over Missouri. The
average man believes in fairness
between communities as well as be.
tween men. We hear a great deal
about a Square Deal these days
and Irrespective OF the party the
American people are for it as never
before. State. wide Prohibition, as
Bishop futile said, violates the
sacred principle Of local s~elf.gov-
ernment and therefore is not a
square deal.
Another thing which Is driving
thousands Of votes away from State
wide Prohibition is The big increase
which It will cause IN the state tax,
which amounts TO approximately
IS per cent on the Sroo va uaiion
II It were possible to put an end to
the liquor traffic many might be
willing 10 make this big sacrifice
but when Il mean that hundreds
Of millions OF brewery property
will be wiped out 10 Missouri only
to have drink shipped In by the train
load from outside states, few are
sentimental enough 10 voluntarily
deprive the State Treasury Of this
great source OF revenue. The
words increase In state tax fig.
ure prominently in the rspor, from
practically every county. Without
doubt. the recent election In Maine
in which the Democratic party was
trlumphantly successful because It's
platform was pledged tot re-sub-
mission OF Statewide Prohibition
and the fact that Oklahoma, after g
trial OF only four short years, will
vote on a repeal Of an act OF the
same kind, is having mighty so
bering effect upon the average Mis-
souri voter. Here are concrete ex'
amples q thousand iold more elo'
quent and reliable than the efu.
sions OF any Statewide Prohibition
orator. That both the Democratic
and Republican state platforms are
pledged to local option as against
Statewide Prohibition has also had
a far reaching effect, iOT the average
party man believes In standing By
: his platform on Rr cat Iublic que