The Cairo bulletin., 1911-01-30
COUNTY OPTION
FOR ILLINOIS
FORCES LINED UP AT SPRING
FIELD TO BRING ABOUT EN-
AcTMENT OF LAW.
BOTH CLAIM MAJORITY
viii Try to Get Vote on Measure by
Middle of February-Say Be
tween 60 and 70 Per Cent
of State is Dry.

Springfield H., Jan. 29.--'Drys "
and vets are massing their forces
for the fray, and as soon as Speaker
Adkins appoints the house commit
tees the struggle over county option
will begin. The Anti-Saloon Leaguc
declares it will force the fighting
from the start Its intention IS 10
snap the ball the moment the speaker
the dry committee, slide
in the county option bill, push 1t
the committee on the jump,
land it on the calendar and bring it
To roll call by the middle or Febru-
aryl They are planning to get
vote a day or two after the statewide
dry rally in the arsenal Feb IA, az
which Governor Stubbs OF Kansas IS
to be one of the star orators.
The first big fight is expected to
come in the house, where both "wets"
aud "drys" are claiming overwheim.
ing majorities. The blue ribbon
leaders say the legislators from ninety
OF the downstate counties will be with
county option. Officials or the Unite
Societies for Local Self Government,
assert they have at least eighty-nlne
representative lined up against eoun-
ty option. In view Of these widely
divergent claims, the Showdown"
will be attended with excitement.
Struggle on Floor.
The dry" committee which is to
handle the dry bills is already
elected, and the moment it organizes
il will have the county option bill on
its hands. The VETS" however, will
not contine themselves tothe defen-
sive. A "wet" committee. which will
he headed by Thomas Curran, is
ready for appointment.
III is more than probable that a b9I
will be put in to repeal the present
local oltion act or TO amend it in
favor Of the liquor interests, and the
Curran committee will bounce 1t out
upon TIE floor without delay. Hence
the battle this time will not start in
but will he confined to an
open catch-as-catch-can struggle on
the floor Of the chamber itself.
Z. A. ScFogin, legislative supern-
.enlent of the Anti-Saloon League,
stated today that if a county option
bill is passed ninety downstate coun-
ties will be entirely "dry" after the
next election.
"Drys" Gains Big.
According to the records kept by
the league. between co and 10 per
cent of the total area OF Illinois Is
dry" as whistle today.
Since tine local option act was
passed 1900 townships ard precincts
out of a total of 1896 have voted on
the wet" or "dry" question. OF the
/ 1896, there are no saloons today in
1895. Thirty counties are without
dramshop anywhere within their
pUuuudilSS- ~ tcy dlS.
Knox, Pike, Clark, Hamilton, Har-
din, Wayne, Richland, Morgan, Platt,
Clay, Schuyler, Scott, Wabash, Union,
Jefferson, Johnson, Gallatin, Green,
Douglas, Pope, Brown, Edgar, Craw
ford, Edwards, Saline, Warren, Law
renee, Champaign, Moultrie, Cumber-
land.
Sixteen counties have only one wet
spot each. They are:
Winnebago, Stark, Mclean, Fulton,
Vermilion, Macon, Jasper, Bond, Ford,
Boone, McDonough, Adams, Dewitt,
Coles, Massac, Menard
Differ as to Chicago.
The county option bill drafted by
the Anti-Saloon League provides for
a Is per cent petition Of the voters
in order to have the question OF anti
sa' ocn territory submitted. Tie lea
que officers say it would not aree,
the situation in Chicago much, bit
On this the United Societies emohati-
carly take the adverse position. Cook,
Peoria, Madison, st. Clair, Monroe
and Clinton counties, tne "drys" de.
clare, would remain wet" under
county option.
I'VE have them on the rum" said
Mr.. Scrogin today. 1--WE nave ma.
jority of the assembly with us, ana
county option Is Almost as good as
passed. We are not telling where our
strength is, for we don't believe IN
tipping our hands to our adversaries,
but the enactment of a county option
law this session is a foregone conclu-
sinn from orr cauyassn