Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-03-10

SLIGHT WET GAINS
WE'RE ANTICIPATED
BY ANTI OFFICIALS

That license should have made
slight gains In the spring elections iEl
Vermont, Massachusetts. and Con-
necticnt, where local option regarding
the sale Oh intoxicating liquor ssiii OBJ
tains, was d reault not unexpected hy
the ofEicials Of the Anti Saloon League.
In fact. surprise was expressed that
such gains were not greater In view
Of the almost complete apathy on the
part Of the prohibition forces follow
ing the recent nation-w wide victory.
and the vigorous '.last-diech' fight
which me liquor forces are making in
every part Of the United States.
Regarding this effort By the liquor
dealers To postpone or nullify the
latest amendment to the constitution
Of the United states. the attorney of
one Of the liquor organizations In this
state Is quoted as stating that II the
opponents of prohibition had put as
much energy Into the contest against
the amendment w9aen IL VAS pending,
either before congress or In the state
legislatures, as they are showing at
the present time, the prohibit Onists
would have had greater difficuity IN
winning.
Ever since local option was applied
Ito the question of permitting the sale
0f liquor lii the municipalities of Yer
mont, Massachusetts. and Connecti-
Ieut there has been great interest in
| the Yes and No vote at the annual
elections.
The strenuous efforts by the ANTI
Saloon League in all the states, espe-
cially during the past five years 70
win national prohibition by efficient
organizations iii every town and viii
llage and hamlet ii the country was
rejected In the vote on the license
question, so that the number Of no.
license cities and towns In the three
states was greater two years ago than
for many years In 1917 In Massa-
chusotts sixty per cent Of the cities
and ninety per cent OF the towns were
dry. III Vermont III 1918 only 10 out
Of 246 cities and towns voted for Ii
cense, while during the same year
prohibition made gains Ia the small
towns iii Connecticut
] Before the city elections III Massa-
chusettB last December. the prohibi-
tionists were practically sure Of the
tionista were practicahetten-'f vh
ratification Be the constitutional
amendment, with the result that
there was marked relaxation bl
effort on their part. Yet. despite the
corresponding activity of the LIQUOR
Interests, comparatively few cities
lchanged from dry to wet, and IN every
lease, the municipalities Ia question
had been wet On some previous year,
Similar gains were shown IN the town
leiections iii Massachusetts during
February and the present week, while
lin Vermont few Of the cities which
had been dry for year voted again
for license On Tuesday last.
That these successes for license
Twin prove barren victories is the
Iopinfon Of the Anti-Saloon League
4 officials, who claim that with only .
few months ID which I'd sell liquor
very few dealers Will SO to the ex.
Ipense Of opening saloon for so shorl
4 time, especially I'll those cities and
towns, where sucfi places have moi
been available for many years Fur
thernore, 1t is pointed out that the
liquor trade IN small towns u almost
wholly confined To malt liquors
i which viii be very difficult for ever
active saloon keepers to obtain aftel
May.
the Antf-Saioon League officials
however. are not bit all pleased Will
the apparent lack of esfort on the par
Of local prohibition o anizaatons Il
not seeking to bring out the full parts
vote at ALI elections, and IN this con
nertion they point out that Il the fsil
benesit OF the pfohibitory arnendrnefaf
lis to be obtained and prohibitionists
reap the fruits Of their great victory
1.-The greatest vigilance should be con
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