We suppose it will be conceded now that Lanark is a no- license town. There was little excitement at the polls yesterday, but a fair vote was polled. We did not hear much comment except that the anti license board had given the city a good administration and it was the policy to leave enough alone. An option expressed by several independent voters was that our laws ought to be more strictly enforced or license should be granted. a general expression was that there no use having wards in a city the size of Lanark and the consequence expense and confusion of three polling places.
The victory this year was really greater then last year. Last year the city officers were elected and there was a big vote. The majority on mayor was 64 but the average majority on alderman was only 20. This year the average majority on alderman was 24 and in this estimate we figure the 13 majority against temperance in the first ward. The following is an itemized list:
Ward I
C.F. Ernest 38-13
James Hamdond 24
John Ruthrauf 1
Ward 2
E.D. Leland 57 23
John L Reynolds 34
Ward 3
Shannon
In Shannon, there was a considerable work done and the average vote polled.
That town has been strong for license for several years but comes in now with a glorious victory for temperance. franceis Murphy has been giving some of his telling lectures there lateley and it is through his influence the scale turned. Here is the vote:
Total Number of Votes Polled 149
Anti License
License
And Shannon Too!
The license men say this is a cold day.
The beer license only dodge did not win. It will not be too long before a prohibitnary amendment is the law in Illinois. We did not hear anyone say there was more liquor in Lanark sold then if we had saloons.
E. Glotfelty 72 49
B. Israel 23
R.M. Cook 82
C.Hines 77
Wm. Rummell 73
Scott Cowan 67
Charles Spangler 65
N.H. Straw 68
Wm. Dodds Town Clerk 149
16 January 1884 - The above article ran in the Lanark Gazette for April 16, 1884.
Contributed by John Sharp
The ad shown at the top was in the Lanark Gazette 3 December 1886
The Gazette's publisher, Loren G. Burrows, was an avowed Democrat and a strong supporter of the Temperance Movement.
Burrows really waxes enthusiastically for the Temperance victories when Lanark and Shannon voted for dry candidates in 1884. The pendulum however swung backward and forward until Prohibition was made the law of the land at least for a time. Probst !
