New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-20
VETS In BOSTON
WIN BY 1850
Beaten by Money, Say
DryS, Whose Vote
Decreases
BILLY SUNDAY
NOT DISCOURAGED
Fear of Realty Slump Won
Ballots in Best Sections
of City


Boston. Dec. 10. Respectable Boston
voted as il drinks to-day. and in con-
sequence license won by a majority OF
23.35l as compared with a lead Of a.
22S last year The dry vote decreased
1.5O7. to 3O.0SO. while the wet vote in
creased 1916, TO 53,4Sl.
The result. in view of the organized
fight made by the temperance people
and the activities of Billy Sunday, is
surprise beyond words TO the liquor
people. They hoped for a majority OF
10000 and feared an adverse majority
Now they declare that Sunday "is
false alarm" and insist that the result
is a reputation Of the athletic evan
gelist and all he stands for.
1t was also apparent that an effort
made to inject the religious issue into
the contest met with some degree OF
success. To bring out the wet vote
to-day tho liquor men had not less
than 5000 automobiles and an army
Of workers. Combating them, tie
drys had several hundred motors, all
they could use. and another armY of
workers. la gcly women and including
many children, working al polling
places with banners and buttons.
Brute Power of Money
The drys insist that the result is
victory for the brute power Of
money" charging that the liodor and
real estate interests spent not less
than $4,000 The actual decrease
in their own vote they Ascribe 20
the changing Of hundreds Of votes
normally cast against license in the
better residential districts by voters
actually in favor Of license VINO so
voted formerly in order 10 keep saloons
out Of their home districts Faced
with the possibility Of no saloons at
all. these men voted Eyes" and took
chances on having saloons for near
reighbors.
Ordinarily the license majority is so
comfortable that residents Of Dor
chester, Brighton, West Roxbury and
the Back Bay who may want saloons
or actually be interested in saloon
property. but unwilling to have saloons
near their homes. could with safety
vote dry. To-day they had no such
assurance Of safety.
Ordinarily. too, tho liquor interests
nave had 10 make no special effort to
get q favorable vote. and with All
saloons closed on Election Day have
ordinarily took il as a holiday for all
concerned. To-day every man con
nocted with the trade not confined 10
his bed was at the polls or getting out
the vote from before ocIocA until
the polls closed at {.
The real estate interests threw their
influence and their money with the
liouor faction Speaking unoihclaIy' an
officer Of the exchange tonight backed
up the drys' charge that money peat
them bv estimating the cost OF the
election 10 the real estate interests at
S25O0O0. ,,n.
The size e the early vote told the
interested nothing Of what the result
would be. and IL was not until the re-
turns from the purely residential as
tricts began 20 come in that a dry
Waterloo was indicated. Then IT was
,lea- that these districts, especially
DORCHESTER. where Sunday is supposed
10 be strongest, had turned It's back
upon him.
Large as the majority IN their favor
is. the vets are indulging IN no cele-
brations tonight. Their leaders issued
do nrf
forth that no demonstrations should be
made and that if anything the saloons
should be- conducted more strictly than
in the last month. This. il is explained,
/, because adverse legislation - feared
next year This includes bill which
vim reduce the number of licenses IN
Boston bv one-fourth and in other
cities which may be wet by one-third.
An effort TO write prohibition plank
INTO the constitution which Will be
voted upon next fall is also looked for.