The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-04-03
BEER VOTERS
Win VICTORY
IN WISCONSIN
Proposals to Repeal State
Dry Law, LegaIize 2.75
Brew Carry.
BY WILLARD r. SMITH

DnIteu PfeSb SLHu CORE |R9nuent
MILWAUKEE, Wis, April Sled
by tremendous majority in this
once famous city Of brewers, the
"Wets" Of Wisconsin today had sue
ceeded in rolling up ruling vote
of yes" on Two anti-prohibition
proposals.
In 1887 of the states 2,771 pre-
cincts the people voted 2l0,133 to
129,548 in favor of repeating the
state prohibition laws, and in 1,648
precincts they cast POI, ,231 votes in
favor of legalizing 2.75 per cent beer
and 118,847 against.
In Milwaukee the voters were ap-
proximately five to one in favor Of
both proposals.
Legislature Must Act
The state dry law remains on the
books, but the vote means that the
people have asked the legislature to
remove it. The legislature had
asked the advice of the voters and
now is bound to comply with the
pODuldL HOGCs
Wet majorities were piled up early
in the cities. Rural sections and
villages increased their dry vote
over that registered in the beer
referendum of 1926. but more vets
than ever before turned out to the
polls in many communities.
The vets believe the vote to be
an important step toward cutting
The eighteenth amendment out Of
the Constitution of the United
States.
They will continue their fight,
they said, as did the prohibition
forces in bringing the dry issue be-
fore congress.
Gathering returns from outlying
rural sections of the state, where
the drys held greatest strength, was
slowed by storm wrecked wire sys-
TENS. Snow-covered highways were
blamed by drys for keeping many
of their numbers from the polls in
farming districts.
Students Vote Wet
The state capital, Madison, voted
for repeal, 6.459 to 5,602. Modifica-
tionists cast 6212 ballots, against
5,489 anti's. The two wards where
the bulk of the University of Wis
consin students vote both had wet
majorities.
The campaign that preceded
Tuesdays balloting was made un-
usually active by introduction Of the
prohibition issues. Newspaper ad-
vertising was called into play by
the vets and dry forces imported
speakers and INDUCED in direct by
mail pleas to rural voters.
"Vote as you drink" was the slo-
gan of the vets.
In response came the derisive
query of the drys, "Will you let the
belly rule the brain?"
In order to force the lawmakers
to enact legislation as directed by
the referendum, wet forces contem-
plate starting recall action against
all legislators who continue to vote
drv after their districts have ap-
proved repeal of the prohibition en-
forcement act. Bills to repeal the
law Or amend it are pending in the
legislature.
Drys Still Fight
But the Severson act-Wisconsin's
state dry laW-never will be re-
pealed despite the referendum, the
Rev. Warren G. Jones, superlntend-
ent of the Wisconsin Anti-Saloon
League, said.
our cause is not lost by any
means, although we admit defeat at
the polls and admit the vote was
disappointment" the Rev. Jones
said.
while the vets carried a ma
iority of the votes, we feel sure that
the final tally will show we have
carried more than one-half the
counties, the wet majority being due
to the Milwaukee vote That means
the drys will have control of the
legislature and the proposed repeal
of the Severson act will be voted
down in the legislature"