The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-03-12
Booze Il Main Issue ~
Placed Before Folks

The wet and dry question will
be fought out in 200 Minnesota
cities. villages and towns tomorrow.
ut the annual election. OF these 40
license saloons and sixty are dry.
Six cities of the fourth class are
included in the list of towns where
the saloon is an issue. They are:
GAINESVILLE, East Grand Forks, Lltih
Falls. Rochester. Two Harbors and
Renville. All but Renville are wet
What effect the enactment OF the
county option law will have on the
local option elections is problemati-
cal. Many of the wet towns are To-
Gated in counties which are expected
to go dry II vote Is taken undea.
the new act ...
Will Wait For Option Election.
But in many instances II will be
several months before county option
elections can be held. and the as.
sumption Is that wet places, stu.
ated in counties where the drys are
thought to predominant, will retain
Gieir saloons as long as possible.
There are exceptions to this. a
notable one is Grasston. Kanabec
county. ii is the only wet village
in the county and II il votes dry there
will be no necessity for the proposed
county option election. a petition for
which Is being circulated.
League Has Plans.
The Anti-saloon league, il is said
is prepared 10 call the first elections
under the county option law In coun
ties such as Kanabec, Otter Tail
Douglas, Kitison. Roseau, Houston
Fillmore, Isanti. Mile Lacs. Chisago
and Sherburnc, which, under soca'
option, are practically dry.
Being almost certain OF victory in
these places the plan is TO have them
vote soon TO create a favorable senti
ment in other sections of the state
Both branches of the legislature ad
journed yesterday until Wednesday
10 allow the members to go home &c
vote ut these elections.
The statute provides that every
village, town. and certain cities ir
he state shall hold their annual cleo
lions on the second Tuesday IN
March.
What Both Sides Say.
I'VE might as well vote the towr
| dry nnw ic tho arupp,opt gan or,l I,
made by the drys. "for it is coming
soon anyway, under county option.
The liquor interests are combattin.
this argument with a circular letteI
being sent out to their local repre-
sentatives in each town where tn,
campaign is on. The letter calls at
tention to the fact that IL takes tim,
to get out a county option petition
then forty TO fifty days notice fo
the election, and that six months 4
allowed the saloons to close up arte
a county votes dry.
The brewers letter Of informatio,
then says: , ..
According TO the statements mad
/. |
since the passage of this county or
ton bill, II Is apparent that tn
AntiSaloon league estimates IL vii
take two years before elections ar
held In all the counties i'm whicl
, they propose TO initiate this ques
, ton. Special county option elections
are expensive matters and il Is no
believed that many counties are 20
, ing to jump into these elections a
soon as the bill becomes a law
so that generally speaking, unde
, any circumstances. there will be n,
change in the situation relating I,
the sale of liquors on account o
the county option law. at least unit
the end of this year or for som,
time to come.
, Urged to Continue Efforts.
Therefore you are urged to con
tinue your efforts TO carry your tow
for license and not to be discourage,
by any threats of county option Il
your county; and this holds tru,
whether your town is now licens,
town or a dry town. The count,
option elections can be taken car,
of when they arise. but In the mean
. time. and particularly in the licens,
elections OF March and April, th,
citizens of every city and village VIII,
believe in license. regulation an,
home rule, must perfect their organi
cations and exert every possible el
,, fort to carry their towns for license
the stronger the organization IN IN,
cities and villages and the stronge
you carry your towns, the less like
lihood there will be of county option
elections In your county,"