The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28
ONTARIO MAY VOTE
TO EXCLUDE SALOONS
Odds Slightly Favor SWEETS"
but "Dry" Forces Arc
Hopeful.
BITTER CAMPAIGN ENDS
Liberals Would Cancel Clubs
Licenses Also-Suffraglsts
Support Reformers.

TORONTO. June s7.-Ontario will rondsr
electoral Judgment on Monday in the most
remarkable political campaign In the his.
tory OF this province. The question at Is
sue II tho adjustment OF the licensed bar
| and the cancellation OF all club licenses
| II means practically a declaration by the
electorate or the province on the question
OF prohibition. 80 far "a legislative turi.-
diction Is concerned.
Should the Liberal party De victorious
! the sale OF all Intoxicating LIQUOR, oxcept
for medicinal purposes and through The
shops, will be wiped out. Tho manufsc.
ture cannot be Immediately affected since
jurisdiction over that phase of the trsffic
rs Federal and comes under the Inland
revenue Department OF tho Dominion Gov.
eminent. 1t Is generally recognized, how
over, that the success Of what IL termed
the 'Bolish tho bar policy" will mean
the beginning OF the. end OF the whole
liquor traflc IN the rkovince
Heretofore the two political parties
| Conservative and Liberal, have fought
their battles on straight party issue, on
matters OF policy. The present campaign
IS unique In that y hinges essentially upon
the one moral issue. There is practically
no other outstanding difference between
the Government and the opposition.
In the general election of january
1905, the Conservatives. under tho leader
Prime Minister. took office, succeeding o
Liberal regime. which had lasted for
thlrty-three years. In the elections Of 1905
and 1911 the administration was SUE
tanned by large matoritics on the DISCO
luton OF the recent Legislature a month
ago the standing OF the parties showed
tho Liberals To have scant 10 seats m
House Of los members.
1hree years ago the Liberals elected as
new leader y. W. Rowell OF Toronto
Rowell. was somewhat OF an cxperiment
In practical politics He IS an eminent
lawyer. but his career has been largely
wrapped up In religious and social and
moral reform work. He IL a Law preacher
and an ardent temperance advocate. and
was for some time president OF the Ca
madam section OF the pay missionary
movement Foremost OF all he placed
his plank or bar abolition and toured the
country conducting a Campaign OF edu-
cation along the lines OF his propaganda.
The Government met this campaign.
which was peculiarly dangerous by rca-
son or the remarkable spread OF local
option territory, with declarations and
legislation cast along lines OF temperance
advancement I'VE will move as rapidly
rs public sentiment warrants" was in
effect the Governments position.
on the dissolution OF the Legislature
month ago Rowell made the direct cam,
paign cry for the Forthcoming election
The Bar or the Boy" He pledged him.
self, II his party were returned to power
70 institute legislation abolshing ever,
harroom and saloon In the province and
cancclling all club licenses The re.uI,
mas been something OF a political furors
Party lines In many cases have been
broken and conditions approaching a no.
htical chaos have resulted. liberals
whose interests. sympathies or inclins.
tons are against such an advanced poIicv
nave been egtFangpd H..
affiliations On the other hand Conser
vatives with strong temperance princinlos
nave deserted In scores 70 the L,jheraI
standard.
The liquor interests. with all their al
ned forces have aligned themselves behind
tne Government The churches, the tenn.
perance organizations and very largely the
women have thrown themelves on.husI.
astcally INTO the campaign with the on
posl'lon reader. The two elements for
which both parties are diligently angling
are the agricultural and labor votes. TO
large extent the rural portions of the
province have already voted themselve.
under local option and consequently ,ho
issue Is largely academic as IL affects
them. The labor vote is uncertain Tn,
inclusion OF club licenses In those to no
abolished has undoubtedly placated GER.
tain OF the labor leaders who at the mi.
tiation OF the campaign complained tina,
~, however, an immense labor vote among
IN" Immigrants from Britain and southern
Europe which is hostile to the abolition OF
the saloon.
There Is no women's franchise In on.
tario. although various womcn's suffrar.
organizations have been agitaiing for tho
ballot for some years. The women. how
ever have very generally abandoned
themselves to campaigning. They have
a dual purpose. Sir James whitney ha.
definitely refused them the franchise and
they are eager to get at him" Then
their sympathy In Enthusiastically with IN.
forces which propose advanced temper
auce legislation.
In his recent speech to the electors Of
Toronto the Prime Minister bitterly az
ra lgned the clergy for "desecrating their
pulpits" by espousing therefrom the Row
ell policy and accused them OF turning
the Easements OF their churches into Grit
ported where Conservative members and
adherents OF churches left the churches ~
protest against sermons delivered In SUI.
port of the Liberal policy
For tomorrow no fewer than thirty
four Toronto churches announce temper
ance services. Herbert Lennox. Conserve
tive candidate for North York, served
'these creatures who are shooting Off their
mouths from tho pulpit" with notice that
they would split their churches In twain
The clergy are intensely In earnest and
IN not few cases have taken their stand
NJ the sacrifice OF considerable financial
support from their churches.
The campaign has been characterized
generally by the bitterest acrimony. Tho
result is speculation. The silent vote"
will decide. In tho poolrooms betting
which started at to In favor OF the
Government. has dropped to 3 to 2. Indi-
,atons seem TO be that tho Government
Will no af "a n ~ hU Ia
ority.