Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-10-19

atives worked industriously though
quietly, overlooked none of these op-
portunities to swing votes to their
side.
Meanwhile, those who favored the
adoption of the prohibitory amendment
labored to get out the vote, knowing
that with anything approaching com
plete ballot the majority would De
Overwhelmingly dry
Their efforts were successful only to
a limited extent. While they won.
their margin is far less on paper than
it is in fact. Had the entire voting
strength Of the "drys" been polled yes
terday the result would have been a
verdict approaching two to one against
the saloon and its by-products OF vice.
lawlessness and unhappiness.
In Ottumwa, for instance. each SIDE
polled something in excess of 1,7o0
votes. Some LOO voters failed 10
visit the polls. These were, by very
great majority, men who would nave
voted for the amendment mad tney
taken enough interest in the welfare OF
their city, their state and their ram
lilies to cast their ballots.
A similar proportion is applicable to
the entire state. The election OF yes
terday indicates that about two-thirds
Of the voters of Iowa are heartily IN
favor Of prohibition.
The adoption of the amendment
never seemed to be in doubt because
prohibition has demonstrated its bene-
fits by a thorough trial. No one with
regard for the truth can say that con-
ditions are not better in Iowa now than
thew were before the proh1bitory stat
ute was adopted by the legislature. :.
This law has been violated and will
continue to be violated. no doubt, as
long as there are wet" states on
Iowa,s borders. But Iowa's laws
against murder, burglary and forgery
are violated. too, and there is no talk
of repeating any of them on that &C
count. There are fewer murders
thefts and defalcations than there
would be if the laws inflicted no pen
atty for these crimes. Just so, there Is
less traffic in liquor In Iowa with q
prohibitory law on the statute books
than there was when saloons Hour
ished. AS a matter of fact, there Is
little If any more illicit liquor trafflc
in Iowa today than there was wnen
saloons were to be found IN all tne
larger cities.
The methods pursued by the oppon-
ents OF the amendment in their unsuc-
cessful campaign are significant OF the
wisdom of the states verdict against
them. Lacking argument they Tell
back on the old fashioned instruments
of old fashioned politics, and saw
those instruments break in their hands:
Whatever fear they may have inspired
in the past by reason Of their political
power was wiped out forever by tne
simple expedient OF removing them ior
all time from consideration in the
state.
That is what the vote of Yesterday
has done. 1t has taken the liquor
out of Iowa politics. While the
ban on the saloon remained merely IN
the form of statute and not in per
manent constitutional provision there
was an opening for the liquor interests
and they took advantage of that open
ing. Now it is closed, and in the future
Iowa will decide her political questions
for herself, without domination OF
|, saloons, distillers and breweries. Pos
sibly her judgment may not always
be right, but it will, at least, be hon
estly her own.