The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-22
BOTH SIDES ARE
CONFIDENT ON
EVE OF ELECTION
Polls Open This Morning at
1858 and Close at sos
O'clock.
STATE OFFICIALS
EXPECT CLOSE VOTE
Sharp Change in Betting Odds
as Opposition Forces Gain
Confidence
ORDER WILL BE MAINTAINED
Police to Allow No Intimidation or
solicitation Within 100-FOOt
Line.

Between sunrise and sunset to-day
the voters OF Virginia Will decide
whether the State shall, after Novem-
her l. 1916, prohibit the sale OF intoxi-
eating liquors or whether It shall. by
defeating state wide prohibition, re-
tain the present local OPT ion system
under which each self-govcrning COM
nun:ty decides the licensing question
IN accordance with the VIII OF the To-
cal majority.
The question ia the most moHentous
that has been propoundcd to the voters
of Virginia in generation. In the
opinion OF some Of the most eminent
men in the State the prohibitory enact
Iuent that IL proposed carries Il threat
TO principles OF local sclf-governmcnt
that lave been the cherished property
of Tho Anglo Saxon race since the be
ginuings OF institutional history.
On the other hand prominent Virgin
ians herald the proposed enactment OF
statewide protil iton as mighty re-
form - Tin. direction OF morality and
conservation OF nuiaan iife. II is We
hcu'cutly ciaiptcd by these thnt no prin-
'ipi'' IT local freedom Is violated by the
Statewide law. ari ihut IL Is aimed 20
destroy only one thinS-the saloon.
ISSUE HtS Hi:I:N TIIOROUGIILS
DtStJ >Si;D all. OVER THE STATE.
i'ur months tho Issue has been
thrc-hcd ont on the printed page In the
pi!lplt and on The lecture platform. Ar
runciis have been presented By the
local option forces TO show that State
p, dc prohibition viii Increase the tax
lur'ir0 by S15o.Ulo. and that it, enact
mcut in other States has In no way
furthrrod ;lic cause of true temperance.
Claims OF q diamctrica!ly opposite char
I.'"i' lave h"cn set up 10y the opposing
aidc All voters who can read and have
had opportunity 10 hear the campaign
speakers. have been supplied win abun-
dart JIta 10 guide them In their de
cisions.
'rnc eve Of election yesterday found
both sides confident of Succoss.--At I.o-
cal Sclf-Goyernmcnt HEADQUARTERS IN
the Chamber of Commerce Building
nlicof OF tcl"-rams FROM workers In
many precincts OF the state brought
assurance that the outlook for local
option victory Was brighter than ever.
s revised survey OF the ncid with the
9dditionIl Information secured ycster-
day caused tho Virginia Asso 'iation 10:
Local Sclf-tioveruincut last night to
!9suc . statement. r.aillrming its state
uicnt Of sunday night In which il
,iaimcd the state 10y :o4oc votes.
HOTH SIDES ENPRESS
CONFIDENCE or VICTOHT.
Thc statement, in part. follows:
There has been no change in The
utua:ion We have received numerous
kilograms to-day from our workers In
every section OF the state reporting. in
loui an last estimate stands. We
expect 10 defeat Statewide prohibition
b, more than 10000 votes.
The. State widers last night stood ny
their original claim that prohibition
viI win in nine Of the ten congress
sional districts-the Third District
alone being conceded to the local ops
,ion forces. Strenuous efforts have
been made In the past threc days to
stem the loca, option tide I'm Rich
noud, which is recognized - be
stronghold OF antlprohibition senti-
nent ~ the City Auditorium iast
night the State-widers held the last
OF series of rallies designed to carry
richmond into the dry column by
sheer force
no LOITERISG TO III:
ALLOWED NEAR POLLS
In tho city the Police Department
Yesterday took the first steps towards
guaranteeing order at the polls. Acting
under an order issued by Chief OF Po-
lice Werner patrolmen were busy with
paint and brush marking off 100
foot dead-line around the polling
booths within which lettering or
soliciting will be permitted. An act
passed in 1872 fixes 100 feet in every
direction from the polling booth rs the
neutral zone reserved exclusively for
voters.
The precaution is regarded as wise
one The experience OF other States in
the difficulty of maintaining order un-
less rigid rule of this sort is inforced.
During the state wide election in North
Carolina the voters in many cities
we're bcset with hysterical women and
White garbed children who pursued
them 10 thc polls in al effort to inlu-
oncc their votes. No such tactics will
he countenanced by the local police.
\I ample police force will he sta
toned at each polling place to see that
no voter is harasscd or intmidated.
\ll saloons closed their doors >at 6
o'clock last night and Will remain
closed until to-inorroH morning
OFFICIALS BELIEVE
RESULT Will. BE CLOSE
The nearness OF tho impending cleo
iion made it the chief topic of discus
sion last night wherever men gathered.
"flow Is the electnon going?" sup
planted "Is IL hot enough for you?" as
the days best bromide, and the guesscs
as 10 how the State was going ran :he
whole repertoire Of representation
from 10000 for prohibition, to $4,000
against prohibition.
Prominent city and State authorities
whose ability TO hold their cars to the
ground is proverhial. Irofessed to hear
IN undecided rumble which rumbled
that the vote would be close that
neither side would win by as large a
majority of 10000. This view was com
monty held by voters in humber sta
tions OF life whose only guidance has
ueen stray reports from friends in other
sections OF the state and the daily rc-
counts III the newspapers
ON one point practically everybody
was agreed--sincc the fling of the
election petition With Governor Stuart
the state widcrs have lost ground.
This. it was pointed out, is Ircnected in