New-York tribune., 1918-04-21
Young Woman Organizer Tells
How Drys Captured Middletown
Political Leaders of Orange County Say Prohibition Will
Be Next State Issue Farmers Are Opposed
to w. r. Hearst
smash the gin mills. So dropped
the thrift campaign temporarily"

smash the gin mills. So dropped
, the thrift campaign temporarily"
Stfvers Discusses Campaign
Senator John D. Stvers, of Middle
town, editor OF "Thc Times Press"
! when asked about the campaign said :
"The local option campaigns in New
bargi. Port Jervis and Middletown
showed results that were not surpris-
ing. The question was merely one of
right and wrong, although it was nee
tions with proofs from other cities as
to the material benefits of prohibition.
In Middletown these facts were sue
cessfully presented to more of the peo-
pie than in Newburgh and Port Jer-
, Wis, and that is the reason for the
! difference in results. I think the peo-
pie, when they know the facts, can be
depended upon to do the right thing.
In Port Jervis and Newbureh, it seems
to me. they had not been we'll in
formed.
"Thc campaign was in many ways
one. OF the most remarkable ever con-
Quoted in Middlctown. PSYCHE ologically
it is no small task to uproot in three
months the prejudices and traditions
Of three quarters of a century. On
the one hand we had the license peo-
pie quoting Scripture and rafting the
bones of the Old Testament prophets
as justification for the saloon, while
on the other hand were the no-license
people pointing to the saloon as the
best argument why it should not exist
Prohibition To Re Issue
"Prohbltion will be the big issue in
the campaign in this state the coming
summer and fall. The efforts of the
no-hcense people will be centred on
sending men to the Legislature who
will stand for what is right. and not
attempt to straddle the issue. This
means now kind of politics in Mid
dletown, and in fact, all over the State
of New York"
The situation in the Republican or
ganization in Orange County can accu-
rately be described in one word-nor-
NAL. The county ordinarily gives
Republican plurality Of about 5000.
With women voting, Republican lead
ers predict an average plurality Of
5000.
While the county is dependably Re-
publican, it seems to be strongly be-
hind President Wilson. Criticism Of
the President in public, no matter how
sincere the critic may be, meets with
little or no response from the people.
Governor. Whitman seems to be
strong with the rank and file of the
people. His willingness to satisfy the
demands of the farmers with regard
to his appointments on the Farms and
Markets Council, and also with refer
ence to the Machold school law, dis
PEELED much hostility to the Governor.
While the farmers, as a rule, are not
hostile to the Whitman Administra-
ton. there is here and there one with
q grievance. Neil H. Strome, of Wal
den, does not like the Farms and Mar
kets Council, and he thinks the Whit
man people have not done we'll in their
administration of the law and their ex-
penditure of money for the promotion
Of agriculture. He declares, however,
the farmers have not the slightest use
for William Randolph Hearst, to whom
he referred as a Bolshevik He sug-
gests John j. Dillon for Governor.