The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1920-08-27
Election Of Dry Law Makers Is the Most Important Duty in
Connection With Prohibition Enforcement
WOMEN HELPED PROHIBITION AND
PROHIBITION HELPED THE WOMEN
Suffrage Cause Advanced Before Beer and Wine Program Was Developed
Then Vets Renewed Opposition
DEDICATE PRIMARY BALLOTS TO COMPLETE DRY VICTORY

Unless opponents OF woman suf-
frage succeed in blocking ratification
by Tennessee, Illinois women will be
permitted to vote for members of the
state Legislature at the primaries on
September IS. The granting of full
suffrage to women should prove the
greatest blow to the liquor traffic in
Illinois since the women were granted
limited suffrage by state law.
In past campaigns the fact that
women were not permitted to vote
for members OF the state Legislature
was great handicap to the dry
cause. This made it possible for the
vets to nominate and elect wet law
makers from many districts in which
they otherwise would have failed.
AS this is written there is still some
uncertainty as to whether ratification
by Tennessee will be certified to the
secretary of state and ratification of
the Nineteenth Amendment declared
completed. Some things about woman
suffrage and its possible rslation to
the coming election are certain, how
ever, at this time.
The Most Important Vote
The first thing Illinois women
c11a,,1I 1-,A,,r - 4I,,4 81 II
the most important thing full suffrage
grants is the power to help nominate
and elect the state Legislature. The
future of Prohibition enforcement
will be decided to a great extent by
the lawmakers who will control leg
islation at Springfield during the
next session. With full suffrage wo-
men of Illinois can make certain that
present enforcement legislation is
protected and that the proposed plan
of the vets to legalize beer and wine
by state law is defeated.
That Illinois women will make the
nomination and election of a dry
Legislature their first concern in the
exercise OF full suffrage is certain
from the fact that Illinois women
have done much for Prohibition in the
past and the further fact that Proh-
bition was the chief factor in the en-
franchIsement of women.
Illinois Women Won Dry Victories
Under limited suffrage in local op-
ton elections many Illinois cities and
villages went dry because the dry
majorities by women overturned wet
majorities cast by men voters. Under
limited suffrage also a higher class
of mayors, states attorneys and other
enforcement officials was elected in
Illinois. Without thd influence of To-
cal option and enforcement victories
won with the help of women voters
Illinois could not have mustered
enough strength in the last Legisla-
ture to ratify and pass the state en-
forcement law. With such a record
of past service for Prohibition it is
only to be expected that Illinois wo-
men will under full suffrage strike
once more against the liquor traffic in
the most effective way now possible,
namely, the nomination and election
Of law enforcement Legislature.
Suffrage Due to Prohibition
Woman suffrage owes much to
Prohibition everywhere but particu-
lar1y in Illinois. Limited suffrage
could not have been passed in Illinois
had it not been for the legislative
victories won by the Anti-Saloon
League. Practically all who voted
for limited suffrage in the Illinois
Legislature were drys and practically
who opposed were vets. Illinois was
he first state to ratify woman suffrage
out would have been one of the last