Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-24
PROHIBITION'S LAST STAND
W1
Iowa Liberals Will Assault the Cold Water
Cohorts on Thursday.
MANUFACTURES BILL IN THE SENATE
Cosscs Up rs n special order ana
VIII emn On Until Finally
Disposed OF W
Vote.r tU

DIES MOlNES, March ne
senate has set next Thursday as the date
when the manufactures BIN will come up
as a special order and remain such until
finally decided. As under the decision Of
the courts, il the manufacture of intoxi-
eating liquors is once legalized, the owners
Of breweries and distilleries will acquire
vested rights which will compel the pur-
chase Of their plants before constitutional
prohibition can take effect, the passage of
this measure will be notice to the world that
constitutional prohibition has been formally
abandoned and the mulct law has come to
stay.
This conclusion will not be accepted by
the radical prohibition element without a
fight. and as the forces are nearly equally
balanced, the contest promises to be both
interesting and exciting. The logical argu-
ment that whatever is used in Iowa ought
to be made here seems to have very little
potency with the average representative from
the interior districts, many Of whom regard
the mulct law as only a temporary eXpedi-
ent forced upon the republicans by the threat
ened ascendency of the democratic party, and
cherish the hope that both constitutional
and statutory prohibition will once more be
come the law of the state. The restricting
of the permit to manufacture to the counties
In which the mulct law is In operation had
a tendency to remove the scruples from a
number of members. but a careful canvass
revealed the fact that the measure had no
safe majority in either house. The state
central committee, through its chairman, Ii.
G. Mcmillan, then took a hand, and the in
terests Of the party were specially urged as
arguments in favor of the bill. but these
reasons were lost on the more obdurate mem
bets. Finally local interests were appealed
to, and this final argument has apparently
not been in vain. A dozen or more enter
prising towns are very anxious to secure
a normal school, and propositions are pend
ing before the legislature providing for the
establishment of five of these institutions.
The friends of manufacture are in a posi-
tion to defeat the normal school bills, If so
disposed, and are evidently using this adj
vantage for all 1t is worth.
COUNTING THE CHANCES.
The preliminary canvass of the senate
showed clearly that the manufactures bill
would lack at least three of a majority, but
the opponents of the measure are not as
hopeful as they were and some frankly con-
cede that the probabilities are in favor of
its passage.
The matter has been kept very quiet on
the surface, but the friends of the bill have
all along allowed 1t to be given out that
they would not push the measure in either
house until assured of its final passage. There
are members CO both houses who will fight
it, and fight it hard. Senators Eaton, Jun
kin, Berry and Mitchell are certain to take
a hand in the fray on the side of the oppo-
sition, while Representatives Bell, Finch,
Spaulding, Human, Van, Houten, Reed and
Ray will attempt to stem the tide in the
house. A good deal Of interest is taken
in the position that Representative Temple
of Clarke will assume. Resubmission was
largely defeated through the influence of
Mr. Temple, and if SO disposed he could
bring a strong support to the manufactures
bill. He has a strong following.
The rumor which as'been floating around
the capital that outside breweries were keep
ing a lobby here to defeat this measure does
not seem to have any foundation in fact.
The doubtful members deny that they have
been approached" by any one except well
known prohibitionists, who urged them to
vote against the bill, nor do the ordinary
haunts of the lobbyists reveal the presence
of agents for outside breweries. A repre-
sentative of a large st. Louis brewing con-
Germ was on the ground early in the ses-
sion, but it is not known that he organized
any lobby or established an "oil ROOM"
Meanwhile the erection of mammoth brew
cries in Dubuque and other river cities con-
tinues.
Neither branch Of the legislature was in
session more than an hour today and routine
work only was taken up. In the house
various minor amendments made to house
bills in the senate were Concurred in. The
senate had under consideration a bill in
troduced by Druet to punish the disturbers
Of religious and school meetings and those
who steal whips, lap robes and other things
from farmers wagons.
KILLED WATERWAYS BILL.
The afternoon session in the senate was
mainly devoted to the consideration of a
bill introduced by Waterman, providing that
If any person unlawfully break and enter
any freight or express car in which any
goods, merchandise or valuable things are
kept for use. deposit or transportation, he
shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not
more than five years, or be fined not ex-
ceeding 500 and imprisoned in the county
jail not more than one year.
Senator HealeY denounced the bill in
unmeasured terms. He said that it created
a new class Of crimes and could only be
intended for one purpose, to send a tramp
to the penitentiary for stealing a ride on
a railroad train. He was not prepared to
go to that length in extending the Grim
inal statutes, and predicted that it's enact
ment would largely increase costs of GRIM
inal prosecutions. After a hot debate, in
which Cheshire, Berry, Upton and Druet
took part, the bill was lost on final pas
sage by three votes.