Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-15
DRYS To ENTER
STATE CAMP AICN
Illinois Anti Saloon League An.
nounces Plan to Push
County Option.
CONVENTION NOV. 1914
Temperance Leaders Propose To
Precipitate Issue in Primaries
for Governor.

| Chicago, Sept. 15.-The Anu-Saloon
league of Illinois intends to precipitate
the county local option issue into th,a
midst of the primary campaign for
governor Official notice was served
yesterday from the headquarters OF
| the league that state convention OF
the county option forces will be held
on Nov. 13 and IA at a city not yet
definitely selected. The purpose of
the convention. according to the an
nouncement, Is to make local option
the decisive proposition within the re-
publican and democratic primary bat
ties for the governorship: to nominate
for the legislature enough members to
enact a county option law, or at any
rate to elect enough to stop the repeal
of the present township statute; and
to define, from a local option stand
point. the situation as between Chica-
go and the downstate-
SCOPE OF PROPOSED CONVENTION.
The full scope of the proposed state
lows, being the ultimatum of the An
lows, being the uleimatum of theAn-
ti-Saloon league with regard to the
1912 campaign:
The governorship. the Legislature.
county local option, and Chicago and
the state are the leading issues and the
vital factors of the four-year battle be-
tween the temperance forces and the
liquor interests which begins with the
state campaign now on. Here at the
very outset Of the campaign We pur-
poselv define the issues as they affect
the future of the temperance cause in
Illinois.
The liquor interests will attempt
to control the next governor of Illi-
nois. They attempted it four years
ago and they viii try it again. The
next governor of Illinois, whatever
his party, should be a man who is will
ing to let the people rule on the saloon
question. He must not be the expon-
ent or the protector of the liquor trust
and the saloon. He must not be a man
who will lend his official influence to
the passage. of liquor legislation nor
who will veto temperance measures.
GOVERNOR IMPORTANT FACTOR
The governor of Illinois is elected
for four years. He serves through two
sessions of the legislature To be sure
and the senate, but he has 1t in his
power to prevent their enactment into
law even though passed by the house
and senate. For four years temperance
legislation in Illinois will rest large
ly his hands. 1t requires a two-thirds
vote of the house and the senate to
pass bill over the governors veto.
Every one knows that the fight be-
tween the temperance forces and the
liquor interests is so close in Illinois
that neither can expect to control two
thirds of either house or senate. The
Anti-Saloon league is not a political
party, and it is not any enemy of po-
! litical parties. 1t believes that, SO
long as his conscience will let him, the
voter should act within party lines
And to the political parties we would
say that the temperance question lies
close to the heart of the people today.
They are expecting square deal from
You. They expect you to nominate on
your several tickets as candidates for
governor men who will favor and ap-
prove legislation giving into the hands
of the people themselves the control
Of the saloon question.