Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-10-07
VETS VICTORIOUS
IN HENNEP|N, BY
MAJORITY OF $1,000
COUNTY CASTS 10000 VOTES, THE
LARGEST NUMBER IN ITS HIS
ToRY--couNTRY DIS
TRicTS WET.
CHARGES OF WHOLESALE
FRAUDS MADE By "DRYS"

Municipality Nsver Before Expert
sncsd Such Illegal votIns--No
More Option Elections for
Three Years.
Minneapolis. Oct. 5. -- Hennepin
voters have declared against local
prohibition by majority OF about
5000.
Hennepin cast nearly 10000 votes,
more than the most vivid imagination
conceived prior to election day. or
the ID city wards, In Minneapolis, Q
voted wet and dry. The country
district joined the wet column There
can not be another option election In
this county for ut least three years
by the terms Of the law.
DIR. George B. Stafford, president of
the Anti.Saioon league. makes charge
that the election was won by whole.
sale frauds ut the polling places. Not
within the memory OF man, he de-
clares, has municipality experienced
such wholesale Illegal voting.
The four wards which voted dry
were the Second. Seventh, Eighth and
Thirteenth. The Second went dry by
q few hundred. the Seventh by inches,
tho Eighth by only fair majority,
considering Its size. and the Thir~
teenth proved dryest OF all.
Third Ward Wet, 8 to 4.
Tho First ward was about AZ wet as
. ward could be. The Third voted
wet better than three To one. The
Fourth piled up nearly 1000 wet ma.
tority and the Fifth about thousand.
The Sixth. tiniest of all wards. did its
little best with TOO majority for the
vets out OF about 1000 votes cast.
The Ninth was little better than q
thousand wet. The Tenth didn't quite
reach the thousand majority mark.
The Eleventh went wet by about 500
and the Twelfth gave the vets sub.
stantiai majority. The country indi-
Gates itself OF wet preference by about
500.
Last fall ut the general election a
grand total of 5l.as7 votes were cast
In city and county, excluding the
female vote, there being Lib of these
cast. There were registered and privi.
legged to vote at that general election
6O.603 males and 2,l65 females. A
women were not permitted the privi.
lege OF the ballot In this election the
vote can be properly compared only
with the male vote Of last fall con-
sidered a high figure.
Like Lee-Hammond Contest.
The election returns followed close
" the returns OF the LeesHammond
contest of Last fall when liquor was
the principal issue between the two
candidates. There were 1927 votes
cast In Hennepn for these two gu.
hernatorial candidates and Mr.. Ham
mond had $500 more than Mr.. Lee.
In that election Mr.. Lee lost every.
thing but the Eighth and Thirteenth
wards. He lost the Second aud Sew.
enth, carried by the drys by small
majoritiea, by narrow margins.
Unless one should cite the rural
portion OF Hennepin county Ii could
not be said that any particular section
went Tar away from advance predic,
lions. OF course. the drys were sur.
prised at some of the wards they
loat, but those they did lose were
wards they figured their narrowest
majorities In, And rural Hennepin
was claimed In advance by the wet
forces by q majority somewhat more
substantial than indicated ON the face
Of the returns.
Fraud Charges Numerous.
Nothing approaching riots or gen.
eral disorder marked the battle at the
polls. There We're number OF
charges OF fraud. Three brewery EN-.
ployes were arrested at Seven Cor.
ners for violation Of the corrupt prac-
tices act In that they were alleged to
have peddled wet hand bills. Several
men we're taken from the polling place
In the public comfort station opposite
the Nicollet hotel, the Nineteenth pre-
cinct OF the Fourth ward. always a
battle-ground precinct In which the
forces OF whatever reform Ia pending
count on getting the worst OF 1t. 9th.
Or such arrests were made. These
men were released. no charges being
made against them.
unrsolstsrsd Voters Cast Ballot.
That which marked the election
more than anything outside OF the
emphatic protest against adoption of
prohibition Was the number Of un.
registered voters who cast their bal.
lots.
DR. Stafford makes claim that these
voters were largely imported for the
occasion or repeaters. II Is conceded
however. that the wet or dry issue
aroused the voters OF Hennepiu coun-
" as never before, creating an inter
cst which brought to the polls men
who apparently have neglected this
duty Of citizenship for years.