Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-10

A fight to eject 95. saloons from
Rock Island township will be carried
10 the polls Tuesday, April 8.
1t became known today that the
wet and dry forces in the township
will be pitted against each other in
their bi-annual battle again this
spring.
The Churchman'S Federation of
Rock Island has been asked by the
Illinois Anti-Saloon league to lead in
fight against tipping houses in this
community and a committee is to be
appointed within the membership OF
the federation to have charge of the
local option battle in this township.
1t is probable that South Rock Is
land township, with one saloon, will
also be the scene of a wet and dry
contest. II being customary to vote on
the subject by townships In this coun-
~, rather than by cities and villages
Announcement came from an Of
fetal Of the Churchman'S Federation
today it is the intention of that body
TO Immediately prepare for the cam
paign. This is necessary inasmuch as
the petition to place the matter on
the ballot must be filed with the town
clerk before Feb l. The law pro-
vides that the petition be filed so days
before the day of the election.
The petition will have to contain
about FIVE hundred voters names. the
statutes providing that names Of rs
3 per cent of the number of votes cast
at the last previous election be signed
to the petition. There were about two
thousand votes cast at the township
election in April of 1917.
The statutes make plain that tho
matter cannot be voted upon by the
same corporate township, village or
city within IS months after one cleo
ton upon the question has been held.
This fixes 1t so that in Rock Island
township the wet and dry fight can
come up only each two years. The
question cannot be taken up at a spe-
cial election. therefore as city Rock
Island can only vote on the matter
each four years, the general municipal
officers being elected at intervals of
four years under the commission form
OF government.
Petitions Out Soon.
1t Is probable that the drys will be-
gin circulating petitions at once, and
similar to two years ago, will have
them at the various churches Sunday
where members of the congregations
can sign them. The drys look for.
ward to victory on the grounds that
the war has pointed to the evil Of
liquor in this community, recent in
vestisation by government agents
having shown that soldiers stationed
q the Rock Island arsenal have beer
"Io-icatnd Oh the streets. The drys
: . declare that the general trend Of
fn;ineBt all over the country is
i'a'-e' the saloon.
On he ether hand the vets look fol
~a~atir;on of their former victories
q 'na polls N April. They claim thai
t.9 tact that two years ago the lOca
option issue lost by the largest ma
1ority in the history Of the city, points
out that the trend Of sentiment in thi!
community is not against the saloon
Considering the matter from tn,
angle Of conditions now and two year!
ago, it would appear as If the wet
had gained in strength, 1t is claimed
by hackers of the saloons. The fac
that there has been remarkable
growth in the number Of employees a
the Rock Island arsenal who will b.
entitled to a vote at the election. an,
that construction companies have
large force engaged on the new build
ings under erection on the island, tn
saloon men claim means that thei
forces have ben materially strength
ened in the last two years. The,
claim that practically all Of the new
corners are lined up for the vets.
The vets have won all Of the loca