Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-17
ROME DRY IS 100 DRY.

Bone dryness is evidently too dry
for the voters of Iowa. Whether or
not on the final count the prohibitory
amendment wins or loses this observa.
ton has been established in the vote
and those who opposed the secret bal
lot as a substitute for the saloon pc
tition of consent have had their judg-
ment indicated by this election.
However, the state is still bone dry
and is likely to stay that way for some
time. While yesterday it was believed
| that the fight against liquor in the
state was done today it would seem
that it might be only begun again.
| The legislature enacted the prohibition
which we have had and the Legislature
| in this election went dry That is
! ffty-seven districts which elect mem
bers to the lower house went dry and
! ifty-one went wet, twentysiX districts
which elect state senators went dry
! and twentyfour went wet, giving a
us t4L4tl IlldJplIts AZ ZIG N = . ~
the drys If they do not get euchred
out of their advantage in the returns
But at that the decision Is close enough
to start a big fight in every legislative
precinct next summer to secure the
nomination of candidates wet or dry
and 10 cleo, them in the fall, provided
the amendment has not won.
That the state can go wet on the
total vote and still vote dry by legis-
lative precincts in the same election Is
shown in the returns from the states
of Dubuque and Scott where Dubuque
gave a majority Of 6045 for the vets
and Scott gave a wet majority of
6.905. Marshall and Polk counties both
went dry by small najorities, but they
cast about the same total vote as Du
buQue and Scott The two wet coun
ties. however. threw a combined We
majority of 1850 into the balancs
while the two dry counties with tht
same total vote added only 2.&35 to
the dry balance. Dubuque and Scot
were worth four times as much to the
vets as Marshall and Polk with the
same total vote were worth to the
drys
II is interesting 10 note also the
striking parallel in the wet vote this
time and the Harding vote last year.
Scott voted 9.S5S wet votes this time
and 300 Harding votes last year The
we,s all voted. on the other hand
Scott voted 4,G96 Meredith votes last
year and only 2,T53 dry votes this year.
Dubuque is normally democratic four
to one but il voted for Harding. a re-
publican, two TO one last year. giving
Harding 7,433 votes and casting 7,941
wet votes this time. The vets again
voted 10 their last man, while out OF
4,ll2 votes cast for Meredith last year
only 1895 dry votes were cast this
year
Al over tna state supposedly dry
precincts cast an unexpected wet vote
and lost their normal dry vote because
those who are dissatisfied with bone
dryness are sure 10 vote While those
who want the state TO remain dry were
either forgetting to vote or were vot
ing 20 thinking that their no was cast
for no saloons. Until wet legislature
can be elected the private and persona.
thirst Of the so-called personal liberty
voters must remain unquenched be-
cause the federal law which prohibits
tho shipment OF liquor into dry states
operates under state prohibition by
statute as well as by constitutional law
and Iowa will remain bone dry until
wet legislature makes Iowa wet
again.
= - a-r.a-ren+ has failed and
there is yet much doubt IN the returns,
The fight has already begun for legis-
lattve candidates next summer II 1t has
skinned thru even by a majority OF
one the fight Is ended for long time
but not for all time because thel
growth OF urban population Is con-
stantIy overtaking the rural population
The wage working precincts OF the
cities universally voted wet and thp|
time may come when the city vote will
De strong enough 70 overcome the dry
vote in the rural precincts. But that
viii take years OF time