The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-11-08
PROHIBITION BEATEN
BY OVERWHELMING
VOTE IN BALTIMORE
Both City and County Go Wet,
Former by More Than Forty
Thousand Majority.

BALTIMORE, Nov. s-Prohibition
was showed under in Baltimore in yes
terdays election. Apparently the same
thing happened In Baltimore county.
but the returns from there are not as
conclusive as those in the city.
Annapolis likewise is reported to
have gone wet by 500 votes. while
In Elicott City. the only place voting
on the question from which definite
returns have been received. the "drys''
lost out by 26, votes.
City Vote Surprise.
The results in Baltimore city were
a surprise even to the most rabid
anti-prohibitionists At midnight re-
turns from ISL precincts out of a total
OF 316 showed a majority in favor Of
the sale of liquor Of 21,516. These
hgures indicate a majority against
prohibition in the entire city of be-
tween 10000 and $4,000 votes.
Only the lower precincts in Baltimore
county have been heard from. but they
pned up such lead for the vets
that no one has any idea that the up
per precincts. which are expected to 10
dry" can overcome Il.
The vote In Is precincts was SITS
AGAINST prohibition to 2,355 for It. This
'hNah5 ~ HldJOI1ty Oh o,4Lo votes TO be
overcome II the county is to 20 into the
dry column
The vote in Ellicott City was 1ss for
prohibition to 1855 against the PROPOSE
ton. 1t was one of the places the
"drys" expected to carry and is the
only place in Howard county where
liquor Is sold or has been sold for n
number Of years.
Other Counties Vote.
prohibition was voted upon also in
Allegany. Washington, Frederick.
Carroll and Prince Georges counties.
and In Havre de Grace and the Brook
Ign and Curtis Bay district of Anne
Arundel county. No definite informa-
ton has been received from any CT
The "drys" are claiming Frederick
county by over 1000 votes. Washington
county. from the meager returns re-
ceived, appears to be very close, with
though some precincts which went
wet In that county several years ago
recorded small dry" majorities yes
Prince Georges county Is said n he
very close. The fight out there was a
rel hot one and a good deal OF outside
oratorlcal talent was brought In to help
influence the voters. Allegany county
Ing It by about 1900 votes. but nothing
has been heard to Justify such n claim.
Likewise nothing has been heard
from Havre de Grace, the only wet,
Brooklyn and Curtis Bay district 81
Anne Arundel. which In the act passed
by the last legislature was. like An
napolis. given the right to determine
FOR Itself whether or not liquor should
be sold therein.
Because II was felt that the "drys"
were exceptionally we'll organized In
Baltimore city. while the "wets" SEEM
matically, the general opinion was that
the city would not go wet" by more
than 1000 or 1900. A great many
estimated the probable majority for the
sale OF liquor att considerably below
that figure.
Fight Is Old One.
The wet" and dry" vote of yester-
day was the elimination of an agita-
ton that has kept Maryland stirred
for years. The fight started with an
attempt to secure the passage OF a
local option bill. william II. Andcr-
son was brought here from Illinois
to direct things on behalf OF the
Anti-Saloon League. and did so until
a little over two years ago. when he
was succeeded by the Rev. DIR. Thom-
as NJ Hare. who had been given credit
for the passage of the prohibition
bill in West Virginia.
the scene, the Anti-Saloon League
switched from local option to State
wide prohibition. Anderson had all
but succeeded in passing the local
option bill at the legislative session
OF 1912. and the switch was made
when he began to have visions OF
better success with succeeding legisA
latures.
At the session OF 1914 the Statewide
prohibition amendment was intro
duced. Its advocates had no real hope
OF securing its passage at that SEES
sion, and when II was called up II
was overwhelmingly defeated. Last
session the "drys" came back with a
state wide prohibition bill instead OF
an amendment. After a terrible fight
they were forced to abandon the
Statewide feature and accept as n
compromise a bill permitting each To-
cality in which liquor was sold to
vote as a unit. Neither the "drys" nor
'wets" were satisfied with the mea-
sure. but 1t was the best either side
could secure.