The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-02-20
DEADER
THAN A
DOOR NAIL
Dispensary Bill Killed in the
House of Representatives.
FIELD DAY FOR ORAT0RY
And to Indulge It Bill Was
ReSurreCted at Once.
CROWD FILLED THE LOBBY
Details of Sidney CIark's
Endless Chain Speech.

Guthrie. o. T., Feb. 19.-The committee
of the whole house this afternoon report
ed unfavorable on tn edispensary liquor
bill and the measure is killed for the rest
Of the session. It was no idle predic-
ton made in the Eagle that this would
be an oratorical field day in the house.
It was fully borne out when Hadley's
dispensary liquor bill came up for dis
cussion at 10 o'clock this morning under
a special order. At the oueset. though
the proceedings were lame enough and
the large crowd that packed the lobby
was disappointed Two of the seventy
five sections of the bill had been read
and adopted without a protest being rails
ed. When the third section was read,
Representative OliDhant made an o5jec-
ton to woman serving on the board
Of control and while he was trying to
frame an amendment Representative
Reed moved that the committee report
the bill unfavorably and followed up that
motion by moving the previous question,
thus shutting off further debate On
a rising vote the motion carried Il to 8.
The keen disappointment of the large
audience, especially the large female con-
tingent, over the sudden collapse Of the
promised xcitmnt that representatives. out
Of sheer sympathy nj doubt moved re-
consideration Of the vote. The motion
carried and the food of oratory was turn
ed loose. But the real treat occurred at
=
crowd again packed the lobby and over
flowed onto the floor of the house. The
active supporters of the measure were
Ferguson, Hadley and Scott and pronin-
ent in opposing it were Jones, Wood,
Campbell, Willard and Decker Repre-
sentative Willard said he was not so
much opposed TO the bill itself as he
was to the state from which it came,
(South Cardinal a state where one-half
of the voters could not read or write
Representative Decker, who followed
said he cared not where the truth comes
from, but if it be the truth he was will
ing to receive it and cherish It. Person
ally he declared himself prohibitionist
and had never voted for license or sign
ed petition 20 sell liquor, but he was
unalterably opposed to the present bill
as it would merely change the form Of
tho liquor traffic.
Representative Campbell declared that
the proposed law would produce a system
Of joints, more damnable in their vile
ness than the joints Of Kansas. and Rep
resentative Woods sarcastically announc-
ed if the whisky business was too vile
for women. preachers, doctors or lawyers
70 2 fafv
for the entire people OF the territory to
engage in It.
A motion TO recommit the bill brought
Representative Jones to his feet with a
.scorching arraignment Of the members
who would seek to avoid placing them
selves on record He admitted that the
bill might have some merit, but insisted
that public opinion at this time did not
want the measure adopted. The motion
to recommit was voted down and the
original motion that the bin be reported
unfavorably was carried by a vote Of
16 to q
The house today passed Campbelrs bill
repeating the law relating to the inspect
ing Of oils; Mathews Cof Greer bill, per-
hitting olergs to probate judges to issue
marriage licenses and perform marriage
ceremonies; Woods bin to prohibit the
sale Of intoxicating liquors within two
miles Of The Sacred Heart mission; Deck
ers bin declaring certain things TO be a
nuisance. The latter is the bill which
places it within the power OF the private
citizen 70 close the saloon by injunction
and is particularly obnoxious to the IL
liquor element OF the territory.
Ohphant's oil inspection bill at the re-
quest Of the author, was postponed ans
made special order for Friday at p.
N.