Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-19
HOUSE..

MI. McRae (Ark. introduced Joint resolu-
ton directing the Secretary of the Interior to
suspend the issue Of patents for lands to the
Union Pacific Railroad Company until the adj
iustment of the debt due the United States
from said company and authorizing the At
torney General to institute such legal proceed
ings as may be- in his opinion, necessary to
subject the lands granted to and held by said
company to the payment of the debt due the
United States. Referred to the committee On
public lands.
THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE BILL.
The House then resumed the consideration
OF the original package bill.
Mr.. Thompson of Ohio said that il was con-
tended that the bill would violate the Consti-
tuition, and was an attempt to delegate to the
states power conferred upon Congress. He
ana not SO understand it. lie regarded it as a
simple relation OF commerce, an exercise of the
power OF Congress to regulate commerce
among the states, not delegation of that
power. 1t did not interfere with interstate
commerce. but it provided that the article i'm
ported INTO state, when it was offered for
sale, should become subject to the laws OF that
state.
AGAINST PROHIBITION.
Mr.. Lehlbach (N.J.) said that the decision of
the Supreme Court would never have been
rendered had it not been that few states OF
the Union had adopted prohibition. All the
people OF the United States were and should be
opposed to the evils of incompetence. They
were thoroughly confident that the adoption OF
prohibitory and local option laws was not in
the interest OF the good morals of the citizens
aud not III the interest of true temperance.
In the prohibition states since the original
package stores had been opened a moral de-
pravity had been shown which could not be
found in any place where open saloons hourished
but where decent conduct and sobriety existed,
had I'D l..
Legislation. From his own personal obserya-
ton he was satisfied that
INTEMPERANcE WAS ON A DECLINE
This was largely due to the use of that mild
beverage-beer. To the prohibitionist and
the fanatic, however, this was the most de-
tested of all stimulants. They had not such a
strong condemnation for the man who carried
bottle OF whisky, under the guise Of a
Bible or prayer book, than for the man
who drank beer. He eulogized the sobriety
and industry OF American citizens of German
birth. In his city, Newark, the great aim of
the citizens of German birth was to provide
homes for themselves. On the books of the
savings banks their names would be found en-
rolled.
THEY DRANK BEER,
1t was true; but it was used by many of them as
an article of food in the family, taking the
place OF tea or coffee. He believed that the
substitute proposed by the gentleman from
Illinois MIR. Adams) would meet the require
ments OF the House. There was one sure way
In which the people of Kansas and Iowa could
get rid OF the original package stores, and that
was not to patronize them. Let the people do
that, II the sentiment of the community was
against these stores. and it would not be a week
before the shutters would be put up and the
front door closed.
Mr.. Lanham (Tex. while condemninQ the
evils OF intemperance, expressed his opposition
TO the BILL basing that opposition ON constitu-
tional grounds.
AGAINST THE DELEGATION OF POWER
Mr.. Rogers (Ark.) opposed the Senate bill
because he believed that it was delegation OF
power which Congress had no right to make.
The same objection lay to the House substitute,
but this measure was much more dangerous
than that formulated by the Senate III the
state OF Maine could prohibit the sale of liquors
1t could prohibit the sale of cotton seed oil; il
Iowa could legislate against whisky il couId
leglslate against tobacco. Retaliatory legisla-
ton would follow and the whole country would
be thrown into anarchy by reason Of this re-
taliation.
PREFERS Personal LIBERTY.
MIR. Hayes Uowa) opposed the legislation.
preferring little personal liberty to a good
deal of sentimental state rights. He con-
tended that the prohibitory law of Iowa was
not enforced. and he denied. from observations
made In a recent visit to his state, that there
were aboriginal package saloons in Iowa At
least he had not seen one nor had ne heard of
one being there until he had returned to WASH
ington.
Mr.. Stewart (vt.) declared that the drift Of
the Supreme Court had been constantly in the
direction Of Capitalization. He was a republi-
can. but he was n states rights man and as
such ne was IN favor OF the pending legislation.