Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-02-16
ALLDRY ELEMENTS
ARE NOW UNITED
Ohio Vets Face Fight For Very
Existence.
STAGE SET FOR CAMPAIGN

Forces Have Advantage In Begin
ming of Campaign as Many Agen-
cies Are at Work In Their Favor.
Counties Are Being Organized as
Rapidly as Possible and Drys Do
Not Intend to Leave Undone Any
thing That Will Help to Insure Vic
tory - Believe Hard Work and
Unanimity of Action Will Bring
Success.
Columbus, Ohio.-These are busy
days in the wet and dry camps in
Ohio. The Liberal League and the
Ohio Brewers Association have held
meetings, selected L. H. Gibson, long
connected with Cincinnati liquor head
quarters, to manage the campaign
have declared they will fight as never
before to defeat statewide Prohibi-
ton at the November election.
The drys have united every ele-
ment antagonistic to the saloon, have
held the largest and most successful
convention in the states history
have agreed upon the form of amend
ment, have selected James A. White
State Superintendent of the Anti
Saloon League, to manage the cam
paign, and have given him a cam
paign committee Of fifteen adroit
workers, representing different dry
organizations and federations.
The stage is set for furious cam
paign. The statewide battle this
year will make all previous contests
of the kind seem like mere skirm-
ishes. The entire country will be an
interesting spectacle. The liquor
men are fighting for a longer lease
on life. The dry forces are expect
ing a victory in Ohio to be quickly
followed by nationwide Prohibition.
The belief is general that the drys
start the campaign with better
chances of success than do the vets
and this in spite of the fact that two
years ago the wet majority was in
excess of $4,000. But that is not a
wide margin in a total vote of mil
lion and a quarter. The trend of
sentiment all over the country and
the world is favorable to the drys.
The sweep of the movement towards
Prohibition is increasing, and in spite
of the millions poured into campaigns
by the liquor men, they have been
unable to check the drys at any
point.
The triumph in four states in No
vember, followed by easy victories in
other states since, as we'll as in the
United States Senate have boosted
Prohibition stock and have brought a
depressed feeling into the wet camp,
The decision of the United States Su-
preme Court, holding valid the Webb
Kenyon anti-shipping law, was heart
breaking to the brewers and distil-
lers for it meant the loss of a great
volume of business and this means
lessened sinews of war.
Men who come up to Columbus
from all parts of Ohio bring the same
reports to the effect that Ohio is go
ing dry this year. Both old politica
parties are getting ready to bum1
booze and the rotten election mess II
Cincinnati which Uncle Sam is now
cleaning up is not going to make the
burden of the vets any lighter.
But the drys do not intend to be
lured into inaction by the rosy situa
ton. They realize the bigness of the
task. They know that in the cam
paign of 1914 and 1915 the margin:
were against them. They do not in
tend to underestimate the strength
and resources of the enemy, and they
are planning the campaign with al
kinds of trained and seasoned gen
erals.
The record Of the liquor traffic il
Ohio under license is serious handi
cap TO the vets. During the pas
year crime and drunkenness have in
creased at a frightful rate in we
centers and, as usual, the licensei
saloons have had big share in max
ing this record breaking history. Ii
cense has failed to regulate the
traffic
Already the drys are busy as bee.
organizing the counties. They are
finding the people responsive. There
is little evidence of Indifference. Ohio
drys are on their mettle. They un
derstand the country expects mucl
of them and they intend to delivel
the goods.