East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-11-14
DRYS DECLARE VETS
WON BY SUBTERFUGE
SAY GUMSHOE CAMPAIGN
DEFEATED PROHIBITION
Anti-Saloon Advocates Say "Wets'
Got Votes "Buttonholing'' While
Rum Foes Devoted Time to Speak
ers for Other Side.

II can't understand it: 1 can't
understand it," declared ]. r. Kno-
dell. superintendent of the Oregon
Anti-saloon League, yesterday when
asked for an explanation as to why
the state went wet and for an an
alysis of the vote, says the Sunday
Oregonian.
1--WE have been whipped hard and
there is no denying it," he said. 81
have several opinions, but one opin-
ion might be as good as another.
i do not believe the vote reflects
against prohibition or our cause-we
were outgeneraled, and that is all
there is to it. The big speakers sent
here by the liquor interest were not
sent for the purpose of making votes.
They were sent here to distract atten-
ton while the 'gumshoe' men did the
work.
1--WE preachers have been confident
that no one dared speak in public in
behalf of the saloon, that there was
no argument to present in behalf of
the saloon and there is none. We
thought no one dared appear in pub
lie and defend the saloon. When the
here we were astounded. The Prohi-
bitionists stampeded to get on their
trail dropped all of the work and
left the field open for the 'gumshoe'
men. 1t was a 'button-hole' cam
paign, a system of talking to each
man personally while We were after
the speakers. 1t was a clever coup
and we were caught in 1t. We were
outgeneraled."
Officials are Blamed.
]. P. Newell. chairman OF the ex-
ecutive board of the state prohibition
party, said:
81 will not acknowledge that the
cause Of prohibition has been defeat
| ed. The election illustrates one thing.
We must elect proper officials first
and then enact laws. We have pro-
hibition laws in counties, but they
were not enforced. 1t was not the
fault of the law but the officers who
were elected to enforce them. So
the situation was this, we had the laws
but no officers to enforce them.
"In communities where this con-
dition obtained, the people did not
like 1t on either side, and, rather
than have 1t continued, voted against
statewide prohibition and for the
home-rule bill. The next time we
have prohibition laws adopted we
shall have officers who will enforce
the law first.
THE next time a prohibition cleo
tion comes around the state will go
dry for, by that time, the voters
will be educated in the cause of pro-
Inhibition. There may be sincere men
in the Home-Rule association who
will try really TO reform the saloon.
We. who have been through the mill
and have tried it. know that it can
not be done. and at the next election,
these men will be with us"
II. c. McAllister, general manager
of the Greater oregon Home Rule as
sociation, said:
Prohibition Itself Blamed.
THE failure of prohibition to pro-
hibit the sale of liquor in dry coun-
ties in oregon turned the tide. The
adoption Of the home-rule is a victory
of temperance over prohibition. Citi-
zens of oregon have seen both ex-
tremes tried and after a fair trial, de-
cided that prohibition does not alb
olish the evil of the saloon and that
regulation measures will accomplish
the desired result Another thing
that hurt the prohibitionists in this
election was the campaign Of person
al villification and attacks on the
character of good citizens who could
not bring themselves around to look
at the liquor question through pro-
hibition spectacles The public does
not approve of a campaign of person
al malignment, no matter what the
issue or cause. But paramount to all,
in my opinion, were the principles
enunciated by the Greater Oregon
Home-Rule association that led to
J success"