Prohibition Defeated in Oregon
By Frank A. Coffin
Statewide prohibition was defeated in Oregon by the liquor interests, November 8, by over 13,500 votes. At the same election what is known as the "Home Rule bill," a constitutional amendment purporting to give to cities and towns of the State the power to regulate and license the liquor traffic irrespective of State law, passed by a small majority. Under the initiative and referendum statute, which provides that bills may be submitted to the people for popular vote at general elections, two anti-liquor measures were placed on the ballot. One called for the amendment of the State constitution so as to prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor after July 1, 1911, except for medicinal, scientific, sacramental, and mechanical purposes. The other was a bill for a law to prohibit the "manufacture, sale, possession, exchange, or giving away of intoxicating liquors . . . except for specific purposes." As to the so-called "Home Rule bill," put forth by the Greater Oregon Home Rule Association, which is opposed to prohibition, the Prohibitionists declare it will make possible the establishment of saloons within dry territory. They say a clique of liquor men may, under the new constitutional amendment, incorporate a cross-roads town within a county or precinct voted dry under the local option law, and within this town set up as many saloons as they wish. However, one clause of the amendment reads: "Such municipality shall within its limits be subject to the provisions of the local option law of the State of Oregon." There is a conflict of opinion as to just what is meant by this clause, when the amendment says also that the municipality is vested with "exclusive power to license, regulate, control, or to suppress or prohibit, the sale of intoxicating liquors therein." The anti-saloon forces are said to have spent more than $2,000 in fighting their lost cause, and the Home Rule Association to have spent upwards of $20,000. The latter organization, composed of Portland business men unfavorable to prohibition, secured a list by precincts of all the voters in Portland and the suburbs, with the aid of which they conducted a man-to-man campaign. Rev. J. R. Knodell, superintendent of the Oregon Anti-Saloon League, said after the election returns came in that the saloon forces had outgeneraled him and his co-workers. "The big speakers sent here by the liquor interests were not sent for the purpose of making votes," he is quoted as saying. "They were sent here to distract attention while the 'gumshoe' men did the work. We preachers thought no one dared appear in public and defend the saloon. When the liquor interests sent their speakers here we were astounded. The Prohibitionists stampeded to get on their trail, dropped all of the work, and left the field open for the 'gumshoe' men. It was a 'buttonhole' campaign, a system of talking to each man personally while we were after the speakers. It was a clever coup, and we were caught in it."