The Marshall republican., 1914-01-09
FOUR-FIFTHS DRY.

DER OF mlsSOuTl ID hlnlOst
exactly four-fifths dry" which is
the outstanding fact in the review Of
the years work shortly to be issued
by Superintendent w. c. shupp of
the Missouri Anti-Saloon League.
Mr.. Shupp's report will show that
ninety-one OF the ia counties are
dry. but with twenty-three remaining
wet" In fifteen OF the dry counties
there are eighteen wet towns, Linn,
Randolph with Marion each having
two towns with one or more saloons.
Under the state local-option law
towns of $500 or more population
may vote separately on the question.
All the other towns in these ninety
two counties. many of them cities Of
much more than $500 are dry.
During the past year nineteen To-
cal option elections were held. In all
but one, that of Marcellne City, a
mining town. the drys won. Since the
statewide prohibition election Of
1910, which was won by the vets.
ffty-three local option elections have
been held.
Part Of these were brought on by
the vets In dry territory and part Of
them by the drys in wet territory.
Forty-eight OF the nfty-three cleo
tons were carried by the drys.
AS 10 the counties along the Mis-
slssippi south OF st. Louis, all OF
which are wet except New Madrid
and Mississippi. the wotncss may be
explained by the prcdominating Ger
man-American aud Fronch-American
vote. The Gorman-American vote ox-
plains also In part the wetnesS OF the
counties along the Missouri River
from So. Louis west. including st.
Charles and Warren north of the RI
yer and rs far out as Cole on the
south bank. The ragged black patch
on our state may represented by Coo
per. Morgan and Benton may be ex-
planned In part by the negro vote.
That Is n portion Of the old slave
holding section OF Missouri. Many of
the negroes aud their descendants
still live there.
The Ozark country. you will OBJ
serve. Is entirely dry rs to counties
aud has but three wet towns-Spring
field. Joplin aud Cassville. There
were but few slaves In that great re-
gion. which In war times was but
| sparsely settled. The present popula-
tion IL almost wholly native white
| Americans.
THE dryness OF the entire north
| crn section OF Missouri may be ex.
planned also'in part by the fact that
Il was not much of q slave country
The prepondoranco OF the settlers
were from Iowa or other Northern
states aud the negro vote is no,
much OF a factor.
jackson county with Kansas City
and Buchanan, with st. Joseph, are
OF course, In the black belt ON our
map. In Kansas City we have been
Instrumental during the past year In
preventing tho issuance OF many sa'
loon licenses"
The reader will observe on the
otherwise black map of 81. Louii
county a small round white oasis
or. as the vets might perfer TO tern
IL, a desert. This represents Webster
Groves. the only town In the count!
which has voted on the local optioi
proposition. The election was held II
December. Though there never hai
been "a saloon In Webster Groves
MIR. Shupp says there would hav'
been shortly but for the success o
the drys.
A local option election holds goo
for four years. Al the end of tina
time either the vets or the dry ma.
bring about another expression O
the peoples will on the liquor qucf
ton.
so you see" said Mr.. shupp, -
Is fair for both sides" d,
The next local option elections I
be held are at Trenton, a wet towI
January iG and at Warrensburg, mo-
dry, January 20. Trenton went We
four years ago by a majority of 23s