Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-06
BY LOCAL OPTION LEAGUE.

According to the verdict rendered
: through the ballot box yesterday Rock
Island is to remain in the list of wet
cities for two years longer. Ugly
weather usually has a marked effect
on the total vote and there was no
exception to that rule in this cleo
ton. And it will be readily granted
that the rain adversely affected the
dry vote more than the wet But
neither side need waste much time or
labor explaining how it all happened
The city has gone wet, but it is by a
greatly diminished number of votes.
The total vote last time was 5,1O7,
the total now is only 4,304. The drys
made a net gain of so votes yesterday
and the vets had a net loss of $50.
The wet majority was only $50 as
compared with 1859 before. The 10
cal option cause has made a great adj
vance. The saloon forces can extract
but little comfort from a victory which
only indicates their failing strength.
This is no less true when a broad
survey of the state and country is
taken than we narrow the horizon to
our own city limits. Moline has gone
wet but, as with US, their wet lead is
about cut in two. leaving it about $50.
Galesburg stays dry. and its wet sis
ter city, Monmouth, has gone dry by
200. And so it goes in many other
places
For Clean Campaign.
The Local Option league has honest
IL tried to conduct a clean. quiet be-
coming and effective campaign. We
have avoided Justification, made no APP
peals to sordid passions, depravity or
prejudice, always keeping within the
bounds of reason and decency. At the
polls we have depended on the calm
deliberate judgment of good citizens
not on the methods of ward politics.
The saloon element followed their own
courses and have gotten out their full
force in their own way. They can
find no grounds for exultation over
the outcome On the other hand, the
local option forces are not overwhelm-
ed with disappointment by not winning
the election this year. We are thank
full for the substantial gains we have
made and are more confident than ev-
er for the future. Our cause is in
vincible and our spirit is indomitable.
defeat two years ago made the sa-
looms reckless and defiant. All prom
ises to submit to lawful regulations
have been ruthlessly disregarded.
There is no disputing the fact that in
the diminished wet plurality yesterday
we are reaping the results not only of
strenuous dry campaigning, but also
of disgustingly wet administration. The
saloons were put on probation, and
have shown themselves amenable to
no law.
Not Organized to Regulate.
After the election, what? Many
friends of temperance and decency
have blamed the Local Option league
for not engaging in law enforcement.
We were not organized for that pur-
pose. We worked hard for a dry city
two years ago. A large majority voted
it wet, and we submitted to the ma
jority for two years. Some of us have
believed that our paid officials are un
der first obligation to enforce the laws.
Some who believe In saloons declare
that they wish to see them properly
controlled. Many local option people
are now ready to join lands with them
if they are honest in their avowed pur-
poses and desires to encourage or
compel our authorities to enforce the |
laws regulating the liquor traffic. |
Whether that course would tend still |
to increase our gains two years hence !
We cannot say, but it may give US a
little more decent town to live in
while we wait for another chance to
vote the saloons out entirely.
J. L. VANCE,
Executive secretary. |