The Detroit times., 1916-09-30
Four to Three Laid In
Lansing That Prohi-
ton Wins
BILLY CONKLIN
GIVES THE REASON
Heavy Vote and Square
Polling Bad For
Vets, He Says

LANSiNnt MlCn., sept sps-f VS.
ing of bets, the sure omen OF an ap
proaching election. has within the
past week become the daily diver
sion OF men Of sporting blood, fol
lowers OF politics. and iust plain by
ISLANDERS In this city. who by many
are looked 10 for those signs which
may indicate which way the state
campaign breezes may be blowing
Wagers are being laid on the
chances OF every candidate from the
vouid-be master Of the pound 10 the
presidential aspirants. But for the
frst time in the history of the state,
the greatest chunk OF the betting is
beiux done on issues rather than
msn, and IL the dope being peddled
BIZ the bookmakers signifies any
thing, interest among the voters is
scattering not on presidents, but
npcn prohibition
The fact that Ingham county r.
dry In believed by some TO be re-
sponsfble for the strong backing
which the bettors are giving the dry
CAUSE In one Lansing cigar store.
which n noted turnout central Mich
Iran AZ a place where q man with
sporting blood In him may lay so
oial wager now and then, several
Hundreds OF dollars OF dry money
AaD made It's appearance. II Is be
1ng offered at to 3 that the state
win 70 dry Nov, 7. when voters will
Be called on to decide whether Mich
agan shall adopt constitutional
amendment providing for statewide
prohibition.
Billy Conklin. the little man who
few years ago might have been
willing to sit in a game Of penny
ante or watch the little bail spin
round and round. but who today
sschews such pastimes because OF
the social stigma attached thereto.
- one OF the men supposed 10 be
hack OF the dry money. Billy thinks
be has the straight dope on the
coming statewide election on the
prohibition question
~ 1T looks like good four 10 three
chance that the state viii 20 dry
aid Billy. in his affable. but not SO
Cry way. because luck won't break
Tor the vets. In the arst place this
Will be a presidential election. That
means that every voter who can
hobble to the polls will be there.
'-This will help the drys Why
Because as q general thing. 90 TO -
per cent of all wet voters 90 20 the
polls. On the other hand. only from
60 10 rs per cent of the drys usually
r. TO the polls. because many dry
mn don't care whether the other
fellow drinks or not. But this will
be n presidential election. and the
AIRY vote will be boosted mp to 50
or 90 per cent or more They'll all
be out.
"Of Itself that makes II look
gloomy for the vets, but the presi.
Dental election handicaps the liquor
men In a second spot The voting
booths will be full OF ehaIlengers
for all parties ANY fellow who
4 sticks his head into a polling place
without the proper credentials will
md mighty stiff gauntlet TO run
~And there is the final point
{. this election is likely 10 be on the
square In the old days II was
common thing in the Upper PENN
sula. for instance. for the vets 90
vote flock OF lumberiacks They
did II in Chippewa county II that
r. done In November, Illegal votes
can be thrown out
"Then in 1887. In Gosebic coun.
ty, when statev ide prohibition was
voted on the arst time something
like 2.200 votes were cast in Besse-
mer. when as a matter of fact there
were only 500 people IN the town
And last spring there vas n sus-
picious increase IN the vote in Delta
county. The highest vote ever cast
In Delta county prior to the local
\ option election in 1916. was 4,400
. When the votes were counted last
spring. however. there were $500
4 The drys knew OF numerous illegal
4 votes. but lacked funds to push
prosecutions.
I $50 there yon have Il. With n
!, general election on, the vets won't
4 be able 10 run in a flock OF shady
voters. They will have 10 depend
this fall on what they can marshal
right here in Michigan. As We see
n. luck Is agin' 'em. That II why
VIC are willing to ofter TO thA,
Michigan will 90 dry"