The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-06-02
five HISTORICAL
PROGRESS POINTS
THE FIGHT AGAINST SALOONS
SHOWS GAINS MADE SLOWLY
BUT WERE CONSTANT
VOTER CAN PUSH WORK ON
The Steady Cooperation Is inspiring
and Results viii Benefit Every
Good Citizen Of Michigan

Five points in Michigan history
mark the progress OF the fight
against the saloon: statutory prohibi.
ton in 1853, constitutional prohibi.
ton defeated in 1887; local option
begun in 1889, liquor laws amended
In 1909. 1912. 1913 and the submission
Of constitutional prohibition in 1916.
Statutory prohibition was adopted
IN 1853 and remained on the statute
books until 1875 when II was replaced
by the present license law.
Prohibition by constitutional amend.
ment was submitted to popular vote
In April 1887. The issue had been
troublesome for several campaigns
in state politics. Leaders OF the
dominant party agreed that 1t could
no longer be avoided. In total vote
Of 362,917 the prohibition amendment
was defeated by majority Of 5,645.
In 1889 local option bill was
passed with the county as unit.
This law has been frequently amend
ed and improved. Under its provision
Van Buren, county In 1890 was the
first county in the state to vote out
saloons and although several contests
have been waged in that county il
has remained dry to this day. During
the following ten years, eleven coun-
ties, at different times, outlawed the
saloons but owing to lax law enforce
ments. due largely to serious defects
In hn la sole oil n than rafVIrn Q1
to the license column.
In 1896 the AntLSaloon league of
Michigan was organized with w. r.
Fox of Grand Rapids president and ].
F. Brant of Ohio superintendent.
During the twenty years passed, this
organization, in cooperation with
many other Anti.Saloon agencies and
societies in the state has done heroic
service for entire abolition of saloons
for Michigan.
Through persistent cooperation of
many forces allied against the saloon
total Of forty.five counties was Sc
cured up to April 3rd, 1915. Since
1887 no legislature would consent to
submit again prohibition amendment
to the constitution, but at the 1919
session the legislature agreed to per-
NIT the electors to vote on prophsi-
ton so the constitution could be
amended by the iniative and referen.
DUN as we'll as by the old way OF
direct submission after a two thirds
vote in the legislature.
The Michigan Dry Campaign com.
mittee was organized at Lansing in
the fall of 1914, to wage a campaign
on behalf of the organized churches,
farmers clubs, workingmen, business
mems association, w. c. T. u. and
other organizations opposed to the
saloon. With the cooperation of
these forces in city and country. petit
tions were circulated last winter to
be filed at Lansing not later than
July LIST.
The history Of the local option
campaign in Michigan counties would
make book by itself. BY determined
fighting each year in various counties
and In legislative districts, the Anti
Saloon league and other prohibition
forces made such an impression on
the state legislature that the local
option law was amended from time to
time and vicious bills urged by the
brewers and distillers were defeated.
The legislature consented to pass
The Search and Seizure law and an
amendment to the Drug law requir.
Inga physicians prescription in some
counties for the purchase of liquor in
drug stores. Attempts to appeal the
local option law were defeated. The
Pray bill was passed regulating liquor
shipments into dry counties.
Previous to this amendment the
number of dry counties had gone back
from forty to thirty three but the
tendency in recent years has been
towards increasing the dry area of
the state.