Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1909 — JASPER VOTES DRY RY 590. [ARTICLE]

JASPER VOTES DRY RY 590.

Light Vote Is Gast io Saturday’s Election. THREE “WET” PRECINCTS, Wheatfield and Walker Townships and North Precinct of Union Being Carried by Small Majorities By the Wets—Total Vote 2286, Or 1200 Less Than the Vote Cast at Last General Election. county option election Saturday brought out about a 2-3 normal vote, and the majority against the licensed sale of intoxicating liquors was about as anticipated by most people. Wheatfield and Walker townships and North Union precincts voted wet, while the other 17 precincts all voted dry. The official returns snow that a total of 2286 votes were cast, against 3496 at the last presidential election. Of this number 1438 were what is generally denominated “dry” and 848 “wet.” The weather Saturday was something fierce, being cold and blustery all day with occasional blizzards of snow. It was more like a March day than May, but which side, if either, profited by the weather, we are unable to say. Following is the official vote by precincts as canvassed Monday by the election commissioners, E. P. Honan and R. B. Harris: PRECINCTS. .Dry Wet Maj Barkley, East.... 35 27 8 Barkley, West.... 54 33 21 Carpenter, East.. 106 49 57 Carpenter, West.. 88 29 59 Carpenter, South. 100 41 59 Gillam 58 21 37 Hanging Grove. .. 40 16 24 Jordan 50 21 29 Kankakee 45 22 23 Keener 79 „60 19 Marion, No. 1.... 149 53 86 Marion, No. 2.... 131 105 26 Marion, No. 3.... 86 46 40 Marion, No. 4.... 89 53 36 Milroy 19 11 8 Newton 63 31 32 Union, North.... 45 48 *3 Union, South.... 90 36 54 Walker 34 52 *lB Wheatfield 77 94 *l7 Totals 1438 848 590 ♦Wet. A little work was done by the wets in Wheatfield and Walker townships only, but had they been well organized the dry majority would have been much smaller and they might have carried the county possibly.

In the option election in Tippecanoe county last Friday, the “wets” won out by 793. Lafayette city gave a majority of 2,345, which was a stunner for the drys and greatly overbalanced the dry vote in the rest of the county. The drys voted several hundred Purdue students, illegally, the opposition claims, and 47 students were arrested. While Wabash township in which West Lafayette and Purdue is located gave a dry majority of 833, it is not at all Improbable that many of the students who voted marked their ballots for the wets. The “drys” attribute their defeat largely to the small majorities in the country districts, which they say was caused by personal ywork Oh the part of the "wets,” and tjie appeal made to the farmers on the question of the Increase in taxation, which argument they say blinded the farmers. The “wets” were surprised at the heavy vote in the city, the majority being 500 more than was expected. Several of the leaders of the “wets” said that every pledge made to the Taxpayers’ League as to law enforcement would be fulfilled. Jefferson, Martin and Washington counties, which also voted Friday, each gave dry majorities, Jefferson 106; Martin 399, and Washington 1,284. Thirty-six saloons are put out of business in Jefferson and 8 in Martin. Washington county has been dry by remonstrance for four years. Clay, Pulaski and Spencer counties voted yesterday, Fulton votes to-day and Posey county votes Friday.