West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-02-23

would pass law of this kind the next Ley
islature could repeal it. The people wont the
matter fixed for all time
Pending further debate the Senate took n
recess until O'Clock.
AFTER RECKss
The Senate reassembied ut O'Clock prompt
when Senator Dawson obtained the floor To
speak against the indefinite postponement.
Few people were in the lobby at the opening
OF the session, but before Mr.. Dawson had
concluded all the visitors seats were occu-
pied and many We're standing.
Mr.. Dawson said that there were three
modes OF dealing with the whisky question ::
license, local option and prohibition. He
had ms opinion as to which was the best, viz:
opinion was better than some thirty thou
sand petitioners. He was willing Tor the
question to go to the people, and to let them,
a1ter thorough discussion, decide which was
the best mode. What harm can come by nj
lowing the people to vote on the question /?
me senator from Greenbrier, MIR. Dennisl
had asked: Can you convert Il man by act
OF the Legislature? Can YOU make women
Virtuous by act OF the Legislature? But the
answer to these questions proved too much /;
for as you cannot make women Nirtuous nor
men moral by law, then the logical sequence
OF the senator's questions would he, pass no
act TO prohibit or regulate houses of ill-famc
gambling-denS, etc.
The senator then read from the Declare ton
OF independence and the Constitution OF the
state and of the United States, to show the
sacredness Of the right OF petition and then
passed TO an exposition of the results and
workingSof the Maine prohibitory law and
drew the conclusion that it had been rcas-
ohabie success, rs prohibitionists did not
claim that their measure would transform
earth TO Eden. Touching the argument of
the other side, that IL the amendment should
DE adopted, II would result in n loss of reve-
nue. 10 lhe state the senator said the revenue
from whisky licenses was $4,000 per year. the
state paid at the same time for criminal ex-
penSes IN fclony cases alone, $4,000, ito say
| nothing OF the enormous expenses paid by
| the several counties for misdeIneanor trials0
three-fourths of which 1t is admitted by anti
prohlpitionists, were caused by whisky. He
| argued That the number OF the petitioners
was Sufhcient to make IL imperative on the
Legislature to submit the amendment to the
! people, as 1t had been asked for by one
twentieth of the people OF the State. One
| fortieth of the voters OF Preston
county could compel the County Court TO sub
init to the voters of that county the law for
petition OF one-twentteth OF the people Of the
State be sufficient to Justify the Legislature
10 submit ms measure for the protection of
! humanity" Are sheep better than men?
Mr. Newman followed MIR. Dawson. argu-
ing in favor OF the indefinite postponcment
of the resolution. He was opposed to the
| proposed amendment, because he thought IL
would not be efficacious in remedying the
evil II sought to do, claiming that prohibition.
in Maine was failure and that 1t would
| meet with no better success in this State II
adopted.
Mr. Woods of Ohio county made the closing
| speet h on the measure, speaking at consider
/ dul6 leliBtit III support OF MS motion to In
definitely postpone the resolution. He said
/ the effect of the motion to postpone was to
/ bring II squarely before the Senate on it's
merits. Because, said the Senator, these pc
/ t1tions come to us from the people, IL is no
reason they should be granted. The LeGsIa-
/ ture has the right to use It's discretion in the
matter as to what shall be donea what not
/ done. The Senator asserted that If adopted
| the amendment would not work the good
! intended, contending that the harder an
|. object was to obtain the more eagerly would
! IL hp 1pl nd hot OF, frtttt
the sweetest" The Senator then referred to
the workings of prohibitory laws in Maine,
Kansas and Ohio, and quoted from letter
written by Mr.. Murch, of Maine, to substan-
| tiate his assertion that prohibition was IL
failure in that State Mr. Woods said he was
opposed to the amendment because it was
inconsistent with the idea of local self-gov-
eminent. This, said he, is democratic idea
and extends down To minute affairs Of life.
He was also opposed to IL because 1t would
deprive number of citizens of property
without making any provision for compen-
sation for their loss. Mr.. Woods took occa-
sion in closing his speech, to resent the re-
the brazen-faced impudence of men who
thrust themselves in the way Of Senators in
lobbying for the d0feat Of the measure"
Mr.. Woods said the other side was lobbying
as much as his side, and he knew of one man
who had been threatened with political dam
nation If he voted against it. / don't deny
the right of any man, added Mr.. Woods, to
Work for either side Of a measure. but think
the Senator from Jackson was unjust and
unkind in his structures.
Mr.. Brown-How are you going to stop 1t?
am responsible for what | say, and If any
person feels aggrieved at what have said he
knows who am and where | live.
Mr.. Woods replied that there were certain
considerations which ought to impress the
Senator in this matter.
This ended the debate, and the question
being on the indefinite postponement of the
resolution, the yeas and nays were demanded
and the demand being sustained, the vote
resulted as follows:
Yeas-Davison, Dennis, Donehoo, Ewin,
Faulkner, Maxwell, Mcneil, Newman, Rob
erts, Shelton, Stollings, Stout, VanMeter
Williams and Woods-l5.
Nays.Barbee, Brown, Dawson, Farms
worth, McGrew, Samples, McGregor Smith,
and Summers, (President)--9.
When the result was announced Mr.. New
man moved to recon slider the vote aud then
moved to lay the motion on the table, which
prevailed, thus virtually killing the measure
so far as the Senate is concerned in the mat
ter.
If the House should pass the bill
it will 90 to the Senate again.
Il r i L