The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-04-10

The Voters Of Ely Decide to Keep Licenses in Force Vote the Largest
Cast Here in Years.
John A. Ha and John SchafG Elected in Landslide Of Votes
Other Winners Forced to Scrap
LIQUOR QUESTION MAIN ISSUE.

The annual city event has come
and gone. The much talked of
occurance created considerable en-
thusiasm and brought out a vote
not seen here since the advent of
the Australian system of voting.
Several factors were primarily re-
sponsible for this. Not only in Ely
did our election attract undue at
tention but in all the range towns
the results in Ely were looked for
with considerable eagerness. The
principal cause was the vote on the
question of license orrno license.
When the vote on the liquor
question was first preached, the
affair was looked upon as kind of
joke but the three days before
election clearly proved that the
matter was not joke and the vote
cast on the question Tuesday fur
ther went to substantiate the SER
iousness of the subject at issue.
Thursday an application was
made to Judge Dancer of the
District Court for a restraining
order to prevent the city council
and the city clerk from allowing
the question to go on the ballot.
The order was heard Saturday
morning. Judge Dancer took the
matter under advisement until
Monday when he denied the in
junction.
This put it up to the forces of
both sides to get out and hustle.
There is no doubt, they did hus-
tie and to the energy displayed by
the vets and ydrys is attributable
the large vote polled.
The vets won out on the hand
some vote of 3S6 for license and
23o against license, making ma
jority of 147 in favor of license.
The issue was discgsed from all
angles by the people and it is very
evident by the vote that 147 more
were in favor of continuing the
saloons. Among these were con-
sidered those in the trade, those
who are patrons and those who be-
lieve the cancelling of twenty
saloon licenses in Ely at the pre-
sent time and on short notice
would play havoc with the real
estate and rental values of the city
for some time to come.
1t was figured that twenty empty
buildings would depreciate in value
at least fifty per cent. The loss of
rentals from these places would be
total and would reach all the way
from $40 to SIS per month in each
case. The employees of the places
would be out their wages and the
proprietors their profits and a
manner of making a living. The
city in addition to being out the
$500 license fee each year would
also lose the light and water rentals
which amount to several hundred
dollars per month. The appear
sances of the city would also suffer
to an appreciable extent by having
twenty empty business places in
the business section and in all pro-
liability the insurance rates would
have been increased and perhaps
conceded entirely.
On the other hand, some figured
that new enterprises would come to
occupy the empty places but when
it was considered what institutions
were needed and not already over
done here, none could be cited.
To the credit of both sides, it
must be said the battle was waged
fair and the sole efforts of the OPP
posing forces were directed to get
ting out their voters.
The drys gained a considerable
victory even in their defeat. 1t
must be admitted that the liquor
question has considerable hold on
the people of the country at pre-
sent when towns like this, where
even rigid restriction are practical
ly unknown. can show up a two
ifths vote in favor of no license.
The indications are that had it not
been for the local pride and the
danger of losing the larger part of
values on property in the city and
the injustice to the saloon man
who has his all invested in the city,
the vote would have been much
larger. The tendency to bear
down on the liquor traffic is not
confined to certain sections but is
nation wide at present. The claim
is put forth that this is brought on
by the brewery and liquor interests
themselves and is the outcome of
their dabbles in political questions
in the towns, counties and states of
the lands.
Be this as it may. We are
pleased that the people were allow