The Prohibition Convention

The prohibitionists met in council again last Friday to collect the names of those petitioning the county clerk for in election under the local option law. The meeting was decidedly interesting, he participants showing considerable interest and enthusiasm. D. B. Taylor, of Chelsea, was called to the chair and H. Holmes continued to act as secretary. The executive committee were occupied most of the time in counting names, arranging the petitions, and figuring on how many more names would come in. After a little while it became apparent that sufficient names had been secured; although it seemed unlikely that 1832 names would be secured before the meeting adjourned. York Township gave the list a big boom, 217 names being secured from this town. Augusta and Manchester did not arrive before the convention adjourned. Without these here were 1727 names. The following solution introduced by Editor Holmes was passed.

 Resolved, That the matter of completIng the list of signatures and presenting them to the county clerk be left with the executive committee already appointed. 

Editor Holmes outlined the plan of campaign by the following resolution. 

Resolved, That the executive committee, already appointed, have charge of the local option campaign with power to appoint sub-committees. 

This brought Mr. E. S. Shaw to his feet with the objection that B. J. Conrad, who was chairman of this committee, was also chairman of the profiíbltion county committee. J. Schumacher thought Conrad just the man for the place. Mr. Conrad thought not. He said there were 1000 men in Washtenaw who just hated him for he had been a prohibitionist sixteen years. He mentioned a member of the executive committee on whom he didn't think much reliance could be placed for work. Mr. J. Austin Scott, after expressing his abhorrence of the saloon, wished to be relieved from service on the committee in favor of some younger man. The convention however passed the Holmes resolution  showing that the committee suited them.

 The Committees in the townships were continued during the campaign with power to appoint four more to assist them. 

Mr. J. Schumacher took charge of the raising of funds for the campaign. Mr. Conrad stated that an expense of between $10 and $12 had already been incurred for printing and postage. A collection was taken up, which netted $11 66. 

Mr. Conrad asked all third party prohibitionists to come forward and get a circular. The convention's curiosity was aroused and Mr. J. Schumacher proceeded to gratify it by reading the circular, in which Mr. Conrad, as chairman of the county committee, urged every prohibitionst to be at the polls all day of the election working hard for prohibition. He asked them to put that before party and assured them that it wouldn't hurt their party anyway as that would go on growing. 

Additional petition blanks were given the workers who were instructed to take them to church with them on Sunday to secure signers and to get their ministers to announce from the pulpits where the petition could be signed. The convention then adjourned sine die.