The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-12-20
WE Is AND DRYS
FIGHT IN IOWA
STATE WILL BE BATTLE GROUND
FOR BIG CONFLICT
MAY UPSET STATE POLITICS
Defeat of Constitutional Amendment
Last Fall Gives Liquor Forces
Hope of Carrying LeeisIa-
ture in 1918.

Washington, ID. c., Dec. 15.-Iowa
will be the seat of a great conflict be
tween the wet and dry forces in 1918.
That is to say, it will be unless by
chance the exigencies of the war
should lead congress to enact legisla'
ton making the whole country dry.
Such dry legislation for the whole
nation does not appear as probable
now as it did when the war opened
1t is expected that congress will sub
nit to the states prohibition amend
ment to the national constitution but
the effect of this will be to transfer
the struggle over liquor from Wash
ington to the different states, or, more
correctly, to those states where there
is a close division between vets and
drys over ratification of the proposed
amendment.
Iowa a Battle Ground.
In view of the recent defeat in Iowa
of the dry amendment for the ste
as proposed to the voters, Iowa would
be listed in the category of close
states. Although it is generally as
sumed Iowa would ratify a national
prohibition amendment, it is obvious
that it would not do so should the
vets gain control of the legislature
The gathering here of the national
convention of the Anti-Saloon league
and also the meeting of the w. c. T
u, at both of which meetings lowe
is well represented, has served tc
throw into the limelight in national
way the Iowa prohibition and anti
prohibition conditions.
Legislature Race Is On.
The word brought to Washington
by H. N. Holsaple, superintendent o.
the Anti-Saloon league of Iowa, ant
by other temperance workers, is thai
the battle is already starting in the
state over the question of who shall
control the legislature in the 1915
election. The vets are not sleep
ing, according to Mr.. Holsaple. They
are trying to control nominations in
the primaries and after that will try
to control elections.
The drys are equally alert and the
national leaders of the Anti-Saloor
league are preparing to use all theil
influence in Iowa to see that a dry
legislature is chosen. They are sat
isfed the vets mean to repeal the
prohibition law and throw Iowa into
the wet column if possible. The ma
tional and state organizations of the
league will work for a dry legisla
ture.
Another Fight In Prospect.
But there is more involved than the
repeal of the state prohibitory law
At least, that is the opinion of Mr.
Holsaple and other dry workers.
If the drys in Iowa control the next
legislature, they will in all Likelihood
vote to submit state dry amendment
to the voters again. Such PROPOSE
ton would have to pass two legisla-
lures before being voted on by the
people. But if the vets should con-
troll, presumably a dry amendment
would not be submitted. A way
would be found to shunt it to one
side.
viii Affect Politics.
Then, as already indicated, the fed
eral government is expected to sub
nit to the states a proposed amend
ment to the constitution making the
nation dry. Three-fourths of the
states must ratify it in order to make
it effective. If pro-liquor legisla-
ture is chosen, Iowa will be listed as
state against federal prohibition
So much being at stake for the IL
quor and anti-liquor interests, it is
almost inevitable that Iowa should be
the scene of a hard conflict between
the. vets and drys. 1t is a certainty
neither side is overlooking it. Po-
litical calculations in the state the
coming year may be much upset by