Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-04-04
pa CITIES VOTING
ON LOCAL OPTION
People of Towns Throughout State De.
Gliding Fate of Liquor Traffic at
Polls Today.
"DRY" PETITIONS BRING ACTION
In More Than Eighty of One Hundred
and Sixty.iiyc Townships PrOhibs
Brought On Contest.

Chicago, April 4--One hundred and
sixty-fve townships in Illinois, in
which there are PA cities, villages
and towns are voting on local option
today. In more than eighty of these
townships the issue was brought be-
fore the voters on petitions filed by the
drys.
In many towns that have gone dry
in the last few years the vets filed pc
titions and in the others the liquor
question was raised by interested per-
sons in the townships themselves.
OF the larger wet cities voting today
there are nine-Aurora, Dixon, Mo-
line, Waukegan, Lincoln, Alton, Ga
lena, Rock Island and Savanna. Of
these. F. Scott Mcbride, superintend-
ent of the anti-saloon league of Hi
nois is confident the drys will be vic
torious in the first five. Among the
dry cities in which the issue has been
raised are Bloomington, Freeport, Bel
videre. Kewanee, Elgin and Decatur.
OF these Mr. Mcbride says the vets
have fighting chance" in Elgin and
Decatur
The vets would make no predictions
as to the outcome of today's elections.
Women voters are expected to play
a big part in the election today, the
drys placing most of their hopes on
the women.
There will be wet and dry fights in
10 cities and towns in Illinois at the
city elections on April is.
Decatur Expects Heavy Vote.
Decatur, H., April 4.-One of the
largest votes in the history OF Deca-
tur township is expected at the local
option election in this city today. Hun
dreds of automobiles and other vehi-
cles started carrying voters as soon
as the polls opened. 1t is generally
predicted that the town will go dry by
small majority.
Aurora "Wets. Fear Woman Vote.
Aurora. ILL.,. April 4-Women were
the prominent forces in Aurora's vote
on the saloon. They manned and
drove automobiles which were sent
scouting after delinquent voters and
themselves FASTENED to vote early. At
! 1890 o'clock six thousand votes of
an expected vote of seventeen thou
sand had been cast and half Of the
ballots had been cast by the fair
electorate.
/ The smallest majority which has
ever been given the saloon in Aurora
1,317, in a $500 vote on the liquor
! question two years ago. but 'wets'
and "drys" are battling on even terms
at the polls today, political chieftains
say. The increased dry" strength
principally in the ranks of the women
voters. They voted dry" by 500 in
an 5000 vote two years ago.
The vote looked for today, 1900
will surpass the record vote of the
town, $500, cast at the last wet
dry election.
100 Saloons May 60.
Superior Wis, April 4.--Superior is
today holding local option election
which will decide whether 100 saloor
licenses will be granted next July. In.
tdications during the first three hours
were that the vote would be the heav
lest ever cast here. Last year the wet:
won with majority of 10.
A member of the city commission fol-
a term of six years also is being
elected.
"Drys" Lost Last Year.
Ashland, Wis, April Ashland
voters will decide today whether thu
city shall be wet or dry. Both side
have made vigorous campaigns. TIL
drys lost last year by a narrow margin
Alton, Ill, April 4.-One hundred
and fifty automobiles were used her
today to take voters to the polls t
vote on the wet and dry issues. Bot
sides have conducted strenuous cam
paigns.