Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-20
!: LOCAL COMMENT

Many drys were surprised that Mar
Shalltown should vote wet but many
| vets were surprised that the majority
| should be so small as twenty-Slz when
more than $500 votes were east within
the city. Those who have been closely
associated with the ten years saloon
fight in this city were not surprised
but they were disappointed III that
they had hoped to find a greater change
| in sentiment. Marshailtown has always
| been wet in it's city elections. \ saloon
| petition once came in containing the
names of a majority of the voters and
was defeated by Withdrawals secured
by solicitation. The ballots which men
| cast in private can't be reached Tor
| Withdrawals and the voters who forget
and stay at home can't pc checked and
! gathered in by solicitors. Sentiment has
| always been sd close that saloon
petition could not obtain margin
! enough II withstand its Withdrawals
| and vet could get a majority when first
| filed Notwithstanding those who VIII
vote wet in private and yet will not
| sign wet in public. That there had been
! Il decided change OF sentiment for pro-
| hilGtion was unqucstioned among the
| merchants and business men. They
| had been able to see how much better
| the town was without saloons and the
| llry majority Of 2i5 in the second ward
voiced their opinion but the wage
workers Of the east half of the city
who can least afford the cost and
| temptation Of booze voted as wet as
LGra # n q
Fifth wards voted 1913 wet to 45l dry
almost two to one. This means that
the town will grow wetter as its in
dustrial workers grow in numbers.
1 However. there are others in the
| Marshalltown class. Mason City. which
| has never had saloons under the mulct
| petition voted wet by thirtythree.
| Muscatine. which put its saloons out in
| the petition fight voted wet by 1,uSS
| majority on the secret ballot. Water
| loo. likewise, went dry in the open
petition test but voted wet by fifty
! five. Only Fort Dodge. Ottumwa and
Des Moines outside Of the VIGOROUSLY
wet towns were able to return dry
| ma jorities.
The man who is urged by his thirst
| is always a more dependable voter than
| those who are governed by principle
| for in the Second ward. where the
| drys were two to one there were 154
| who voted last fall who staid at home
! Monday while in the First ward all
| but So of the maximum vote was cast
| giving the vets a majority OF IS in the
| one ward.
| Marshalltown and Marshall county
| viii volunteer in the billion dollar
army reserve full up to its quota but
| not until an immense amount Of hard
work is done by many committees.
Some people do not respond in as large
SUMS as is necessary but they will
when enough work is done 10 convince
them that $1,000 is a small sized unit
| for one person. 1t is all a>nmeGion now
/ % work. SO far one division Of the
| four in the city, has turned in $4,000.
Their work is more than half done but
| the other three divisions are tagging
because the workers have not been
willing to sacrifice their own time.
| Probably the happiest man in Mar
| shalltown this week is Senator George
A. Turner who has completed the re-
l modelling of beautiful pool in the y.
NJ c. A. dedicated to worthy public
service. This stalwart citizen in spite
of his advanced years is out this week
| making a record breaking canvass for
liberty bonds as he has always done
when a citizen was called upon for a
public duty He began life volunteer
ing in the union army and ne has been
volunteering ever since. For the rest
of his days on earth and for many
years after he has gone to patriots
reward the men who make Marshall
town will be using George A. Turner 8
name as an example in sacrifice and
service for his fellow men and for his
country.
We have had so many mysterious
fires Of late started in places where the
burning was bound to be good that the
suspicion is strong that we have a fire.
bug among US. Dubuque had a similar
experience and it was not long until
men were being warned that their
property would be burned unless they
paid tribute but his holiness proved
his undoing and Dubuque's fire-bug is
safely in Jail today.
4
The voters have refused to authorize
their city council to sell their old worn
out street lighting plant and in their
vote democracy has sii::33;-.tn It's iIIvapa-
city to transact the detail of public
business. Had every voter been able to
inform himself as the council informed
itself the vote would have been very
I much the other way. Now it Is uI
to tn council to drive the best bar
gain for light that it can and keep the
, city's old machinery War time is nc
r time to be buying any new machinery
IL A fat hog show in January might be
II enlarged upon and-ievelop into mid
/ | winter show or exposition. All we need
I is building and that might be erected
!. at the, fair grounds for use as an ex-
r hibit hall during fair week in place Of
!. | the little shanties we now have there
! We should have an immense building
~ for all exhibits from the schools. home