Press enter after choosing selection

Local Option Conference

Local Option Conference image
Parent Issue
Day
12
Month
January
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The conference was a 6uccess. Those who have attended other county local option conventions gay that this one compares favorably in every respect. Here the workers had a majority of 889 staring them in the face, while in other counties successin the election has been assured. It is not at all surprising that a few tetnperance people should attempt to postpone the inevitable struggle. At firet glance it does seem like a large undertakiĆ¼g to carry prohibition in Washtenaw after the adverse vote of last spring ; but the debate in the conference on the question of time for the election unquestionably demonstrated that there will be no better time in two years than now. A defeat will have no particular effecton other counties, while a victory in Washtenaw county would be of immense importance to temperan ce workers elsewhere. Will success crown the efforts? We think the chances are very good. The fact that but one county (Barry) bas 6hown a gain which would be sufficient to carry Washtenaw, is not significant. It is not fair to compare Washtenaw county with any of the ten in which prohibition bas been carried. All those ten counties were practically sure for prohibition. No county has y et voted under the local option law that gave a maioritv against the amendment ; henee there is no comparison to be made by which we can judge of lie probable outcome of au election in this county. Washtenaw will be the first of the kind to vote on the question, and great will be the honor should the vote of last spring be reversed. In view of the loneliness of the situation, the gtrnggle here will attract wide attention. It is extremely doubtful if the antiprohibitioni8ts can poll 4,000 votes again in this county. If they poll 3,700, they will have to work hard. We do not see why they should feel confident of success and thus be led to make a desperate effort to retain this one county. They reached their maximum strength last spring, and certainly cannot hope to reach it again. The only point for the prohibitionistp, then, is, Can they do as well, or a little better, than last spring? Theexperience in othor counties has been that the full vote ia not drawn out, but as we have already said, that is not a safe guide, because in those counties it wasn't apparently necessary to get out the full vote. Here the prohibitionists know just what they must do, and they probably will do it, They tmist poll at least 4,000 votes. If the admirable spirit of eonciliation, and respect for others' views, which characterized the conference, will prevailduring thecanvass, andevery friend of temperanoe looks out for the doubtful voters around him,therecan be no question as to the result. The party prohibitionista certainly have shown a very good spirit in this matter. Although they regard the local option law with suspicion, most of them will work very hard, and all of them will vote straight. Now, it is for the temperance people in the democratie and republican parties to meet them half way. Above all Ihings, frown down any attempt to introduce party feeling in the canvas. If any one does try to arouse it, he does it to help the saloon. There will be plenty of party feeling next fall.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register