Newport Saloons Lose the First Round in the Dry Fight

At the hearing of the case of Newport saloon men against the Town of Newport, held at Colville Monday before Judge Sullivan, of Spokane county, first blood was drawn by the attorneys for the town. They presented a demurrer, in which they alleged that the saloons had no just cause for action in contesting the validity of the election on account of defects in the petition. The saloons in their complaint alleged that the election was invalid because the petition did not set forth the precinct in which each voter resided. Judge Sullivan sustained the demurrer, holding that it was not necessary to show the precinct in the case of a town the size of Newport, where there is but one precinct.

Jesseph then asked for time to file an amended complaint for the saloon men, and were given until next Monday to do so, when the case will again be argued.

Tuesday, Nov. 2, is the date of the election for the county unit and the county local option league plans an active campaign during the last week to get out the voters.

The American Issue, the organ of the National Anti-Saloon League, makes no secret of the purpose of that organization to work for state-wide prohibition for the state of Washington. It reprints a lengthy article from the official paper of the Washington Royal Arch, in which the plans of the state anti-saloon league are commented on, and in which it is stated that as soon as the Eastern Washington field is taken care of the dry movement will be extended to Western Washington and the large cities of the state, beginning with Spokane. The Issue says that it is willing to admit that the goal of the league is a dry state. Efforts will be made to control the legislature in 1911 and bring about the passage of a prohibitory law. If the Democrats were sincere in their declaration for prohibition last year, it ought not to be difficult to urge the Republicans on from local option to a dry plank in their platform.

Since the local option law went into effect the following towns in the state have gone dry: Newport, Rockford, Cashmere, Puyallup, Spangle, Wenatchee, Colville, Kettle Falls, Hartline, Deer Park, Washtunca, Bothell, Chewelah; and Toledo went wet. Washington has 157 incorporated towns. Counting the towns which were dry before local option was brought up, there are now 30 dry towns in the state. Twenty-nine more towns and two county units will vote on the issue in the near future.