Evening star., 1914-04-07
Illinois Local Option Elections
Are Being Held in Sixty
Seven Counties.
BAD WEATHER FAILS
TO DETER FAIR SEX
Ballots Stolen in Pana, Christian
County-Extra Guards at Polls
in Several Cities.

CHICAGO, April Upon the votes to-
day OF women depended the fate OF more
than 5000 saloons in Illinois, outside OF
Chicago. IN 324 townships in siXty-seven
counties they went to the polls and off,
cially expressed their attitude toward the
liquor traffic.
F. Scott Mcbride. superintendent of the
And-Saloon League of Illinois. asserted
women, using the ballot as a broom. would
sweep the dramshops from thirty-three
counties. increasing the total Of dry"
counties in the state to sixty-three. The
saloon interests denied women are over
whelmingly against their business. and
asserted the claims of their opponents
were based on sentiment
Fifty Thousand downstate women were
eligible to vote. If there was hope that
inclement weather would keep the women
in their homes it was blasted by the early
returns. Rain and cold were general in
southern Illinois, but thousands of wom-
en- accompanied their husbands, who stop
ped at the polls before going to work.
They voted in large numbers in mid
forenoon, showing their interest in the
sharpest and most bitter fight ever waged
between the saloons and their foes in this
state.
Election Is Prevented.
The local question was not voted on
Craig Of the state supreme court last
night isued a writ of supersedeas, pre-
venting consideration of the proposition.
The petition to place the local option
question on the ballot at Pana. Christian
county. was thrown out by court action
and a new one was filed. but so late
printers were compelled to work all night
to get out new ballots. Several men
tried to break through the guard which
the anti-saloon forces placed about the
shop and fist-fighting was frequent.
The ballots were stolen from the town
clerk, Walter Lester. early today. by
twenty-five men. according to a report he
made to the police. AS soon as the bal
lots were printed they were fntrusted
to Lester. and he started to his office
with them. Lester was unable to identi-
fy any of the men who took the ballots
from him. Efforts were made to have
more ballots printed, so that men could
vote later in the day.
Extra Guards Sworn In.
Every available policeman and a large
force of extra deputy sheriffs were sworn
in and placed on guard at the polls at
Springfield to prevent threatened trouble.
Anti-saloon workers asserted the 200 sa-
loonists in the capital will be voted out OF
existence before nightfall and feeling was
running high. At Decatur the temperance
forces believed the city would go dry
II all the women registered cast their
ballots. There were only twenty-five pre-
cinsts for 1900 possible voters, and it
was believed congestion would prevent
many from voting. At Bloomington.
quincy and Freeport local option has
been defeated in the past by a small ma
iority, and the enemies of the saloon
were depending upon votes Of the women
to win for their cause.
For the first time in Chicago women
today went to the polls and enjoyed
equal rights with the men in an al
dermanic election. More than 217.500
women had registered, and election
officials estimated that more than so
per cent of those registered would vote
today. The number of men registered
totaled 455,283, and 1t was estimated