The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-08-23

the following message:
"St. Paul, Mimi, August 20
Kindly extend my congratulations
to the dry workers of Blue Earth
county on their successful drive
against the Huns chief allyn.
T. Mears."
Blue Earth county, the messy green
oasis of all Southern Minnesota, last
bulwark of the vets in this part of
the state and the battle ground for
the dry and wet forces for several
years past, went over the top in the
election yesterday with large ma
jority for the drys. The result of the
election, according to the present un-
official count, gives the optionists a
safe lead of 1888 votes, a clear indi-
cation of the fact that a large major
ity in this county were in favor of
this side of the issue and spoke their
choice in an unmistakable manner at
the polls.
Practically every precinct that went
wet three years ago |Showed an in
creased dry vote, and in some cases
wet precincts swung into the dry col
umn yesterday. Beturns began COM
ing from the wards in the city shortly
after the polls closed at nine o'clock
last night. BY ten o'clock the fourth,
fifth and sixth wards had completed
their count, giving a majority of 456
votes to the drys in these three pre-
cincts. AS the first, second and third
wards reported their returns, however,
the dry lead began to drop and in
the final count the vets carried the
city by a majority of forty three.
This is a great gain, however, over
the previous majority of over 500 for
the vets.
Liquor Sales Prohibited.
The approval of the county option
= measure in Blue Earth county means
that the licensed sale of liquor is
wholly prohibited. According to the
law, as passed by the legislature, how
ever, it does not mean that liquor
cannot be given away or had in the
county The law simply takes away
the licenses of the saloons and puts
them out of business at the end of
six months.
However. the recent rulings of the
Minnesota Commission of Public Safety
makes all counties that have passed
the county option measure bone dry.
This means that not drop of liquor
can be transported, or sold or distrib-
uted in any manner in this county
, after February 10, 1919 1t means
that the distributing houses located
here, the Bierbauer brewery and the
bottling works will not be allowed TO
handle liquor as they have in the past.
Coz ON
brau, Golden Grain Belt Beers and the
Minneapolis Brewing company will
not be permitted to do business here
any longer and the Peterson and Pa
gel bottling works will be able to
handle soft drinks only. Under the
Safety commissions order no booze
can be brought into or taken through
Blue Earth county on any public
highway and the parched and thirsty
joyriders from Iowa will have to cut
wide swath about the county if they
hope to take any wet goods back home
with them.
Expiration of Licenses.
All saloons where the licenses ex-
pire before February 10 will not be
allowed to renew their licenses and
will be obliged to go out of business.
Six thirst parlors will be affected by
this requirement, the licenses granted
to: Geo. Grabowenski, 229 North
Front; William J. Hodges, 126 South
Front; Otto Schmidt, All North Front;
Oscar Olson, 127 South Front; Per-
son & Peterson. lis North Front and
Joseph Stahl being out before that
time. Practically all the remaining
H.
The campaign this year was hard
fought by the drys, especially during
the last two weeks, during which time
meetings were held several times ev-
cry day, getting an organization COM
plete and in shape. Much of the work
of the drive was carried on by repre-
sentatives of the Minnesota Dry Fed
Grafton, which is working for state
wide prohibition in the election this
fall
Senator Richard Jones of Duluth,
chairman of the Dry Federation was
sent here especially to direct the cam
paign in this county. Mayor c. r..
Magney of Duluth, Former Governor
S. r. Van SAINT of st. Paul, Norman
T. Mears of st. Paul and Miss Ros-
eta Hendrix, president of the state
w. C.. T. u, are all workers for the
Dry Federation, and were here to as
sist in the campaign. p. A. Nelson OF
Duluth, electoral superintendent OF
the knight Templars, who are affiliat-
ed with the Dry Federation was here
all week experimenting the drive.
Jones Gees to Minneapolis.
Senator Jones returned to Mime
apolis today and expects to spend the
remainder of the week in Sherburn
county. where the county option fight
is in progress this week. Next week
the hardest battle of the fall will take
place in Stearns county, where st.
Cloud is the chief stronghold of the
wet forces. Senator jones stated be-
fore leaving that he counted on Man.
kato for big vote on the state ques-
ton. He said that former Governor
J. Frank Hanly of Louisiana was com :
ing to Minnesota for the fight this
fall and that an effort would be made
to get him to speak in Mankato.
The county option election puts out
of commission a total of thirty two
saloons in the county, including:
twenty -four in Mankato; two in Good
Thunder; three in Madison Lake and