The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-07-13

Mr.. Colquitt has aroused the intense
animosity of the prohibitionists by his
activity in this regard. He was pc
titioned by hundreds of the best wo-
men of the state not to make any
speeches against the proposed amend
ment. but he turned deaf ear to this
appeal and is taking "A vigorous part
in the contest.
On the statewide prohibition side
may be found former Governor T. VI.
Campbell, who is one of the principal
orators in behalf of the amendment
proposition. Mr. Campbell is still
rolitical power to be reckoued with,
and his activity and influence is of
benefit to the prohibition cause.
Two-Thirds of Texas Now Dry.
The most important factor in the
contest is the local option element
L. the men who voted for local option
in the different counties and precincts
OF the state give their support at the
polls to the proposed statewide amend
ment to the constitution it will carry
by a very large majority, More than
two-thirds of the area of Texas is dry
and there is embraced in this area
very considerably more than ma
iority of the qualified voters.
Another thing that would indicate
that the prohibition proposition will
receive a big vote in the country dis
tricts is that there exists strong
spirit of jealousy among people of the
rural communities AGAINST the larger
cities where saloons are permitted un-
der the law The western half of the
state. with the exception or very few
localities, is dry. On the line of the
Texas & Pacific railroad between Fort
Worth and FL Paso, GA miles, there is
only one county where liquor is sold
The same condition applies almost as
completely on the line of the Southern
Pacific railroad between San Antonio
and FL Paso, more than six hundred
miles.
1t is in south Texas, where the Ger
man citizenship is large and in the
larger cities of the state, such as San
Antonio. Dallas, Houston, Galveston
and. Fort Worth that the antf-prohibi-
tionists find their chief support. The
two elements are about equally di
vided in Travis county in which the
city of Austin is situated.
There's an Unknown Vote.
There has never been anything like
n test at the polls of the sentiments /.
Of the people on this question. In the
democratic primaries of last year the .
of instructing the mem
Ders of the legislature to submit to
the vote of the people the proposed .
amendment to the constitution proyid-
ng for statewide prohibition received
1924 votes. The votes against the
aggregated 126,212. This
made a total of S21 i36 votes that were
'ast on the question. The total mum
ler of qualified voters in the state is
10000 This leaves a
Inference of 25S,563 votes, the attitude
J. which has never been tested on the
proposition.
Between fifty and seventy-five thou
iand republicans have voted at cleo
ions during the last few years Or
'ourse there are many thousand more
'epublcans in the state who have
not participated in cleo
ions. The republican vote is an un-
ertain quantity in the present prohi-
'ition contest. Both the antis and
he pros are claiming a majority of
will be cast for their respective
auses.
What makes the present campaign
interesting is the fact that
pom its result depends the political
uture of number of democratic pol.
ticians of the state. The pros al !
eady have tentative plans arranged j
or putting a candidate in the field