Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-05
WOMEN TO DECIDE
LOCAL OPTION FIGHT
AT SID AND MARKET
Both "Wets" and "Drys" Ad-
nit Result Hangs Upon Wish
of Wives and Daughters
of Residents
ARE VOTING IN Y. M. C. A.

There were two surprising Developments
in the local option fight raging about sd
and Market streets today one was that
both sides took back their confident state
ments that they would win hands down.
Tho other was that both sides admitted
that women would decide the issue. What
the women wanted would happen, they
said
Tho chance that has made local option
and woman suffrage realities In one sec
tion Of this city for short time came
about through the request Of John +, Gra-
ham. OF the Hotel Jamlson liOy-'1!1 Fill
bert street for a transfer of his famison
liquor licese To the property at the cor
ner or sd and RanStead streets, near
Market, which he leases TO s. J. Cunning
ham and which MIR. Cunningham uses as
an oyster bar and restaurant.
The question is: "Shall the bar remain
an oyster bar or become an alcohol bar?''
There was so much violent disputing In
the License Court over the proposed
transfer that Judges Stake and Patter-
son reserved decision and ordered "Wets'
and "drys' to hold an election" i'm the
neighborhood and bring their results TO
court on January u. when the court
could count noses and find out Just how
many people In the neighborhood of rhe
oyster bar wanted a saloon there and
how many opposed the idea
OF course it was not real local option.
but it was the nearest thing to il that
Philadelphia has ever seen, and the zeal
with which both vets and ''drys' took
up the Judges challenge seemed to many
TO make the incident Of great significance.
and perhaps as marking an epoch in local
option history in Pennsylvania.
CAMPAIGN FOR VOTES"
There began a campaign for Votes -
Ihrty-seven dry canyassers. two of
them women, started a door-to- door cam
paign. and l2 ''wets" also began to plead
for votes" These votes consist of
signatures In the nature OF petitions to
the Court 10 permit the transfer of the
saloon license or to refuse IT,
Hundreds OF men and women were Wis
tied on Monday, the first night of the
campaign and the "drys' promptly
claimed about 400 of the 20O0 possible
votes in the territory prescribed by the
Court as the vicinity OF the proposed sa-
loon, that is the blocks bounded hy 5Oth.
5ith. Race and Spruce streets, all within a
redius OF two squares every way from SD
and Ranstead streets
The "wets" also claimed about 400
votes, but both sides Withdrew their big
claims today and admitted the result was
in doubt. How many votes have been
cast is only known 10 the individual can
yassers. who have not yet made any re-
turns to headquarters. The dry" head
quarters Is in the West Branch Y. NJ
@. A. and the ''wets" In the oyster bar
itself where Mr. Cunningham Is leading
the forces who want the saloon. He had
a novel argument 10 prove he would win
today
This fight viii depend upon the
women" he said. Now the families viii
vote as units: that is. what the man or
woman who happens 10 be the one that
runs the family wants. that they win an
vote for, sons and daughters. wives aud
husbands Now, there are more men who
ars moderate drinkers than there are pro-
hibiti0nists hereab bouts and the men who
are moderate drinkers. being more normal
siaan pEohibitionlsts. have larger AUD mors