The Grenada sentinel., 1904-02-20
TH,RTY-sEcOND DAY.

"Statutory prohibition!" This IL the
slogan of the vanQuihsed hosts of yes
terday. The prohibitionists have not
given up the fight. The leaders de-
clare that they will make one more
struggle for mastery. The scattered
remnants of the army that went down
in defeat in the lower house yester-
day are being rallied by the leaders,
and more legislation O1 the liquor
question Is in prospect.
Within the next few days a bill will
be introduced in the house providing
for statutory prohibition. 1t will be
intrusted to the same leadership which
has been in command since the be-
ginning of the session, and will en-
counter the same elements of opposi-
tion
A total of 109 votes were cast in
yesterdays balloting, IS being for and
4S against the amendment. 1t lacked
eight votes of the number The house
now contains 1872 members, one mem
ber having died recently. OF the twen-
ty-three members absent, nearly all
were paired.
Statutory prohibition is the first love
Of many of the leaders who were de-
feated in yesterdays battle. Prior to
the prohibition convention held in this
statutory measure. The constitu-
tional amendment had not been pro-
posed or thought of until the commit
tee made it's report suggesting the en-
actment of constitutional amend
ment, accompanied by statutory law
to remain in force until the constf-
tutional amendment could be submit
ted to the people and be inserted IL
the constitution in case, of successful
result.
A significant feature of yesterdays 8
voting was the fact that not all the
antagonists of the amendment were
from wet" counties. Some of the
strongest speeches of the opposition
were made by members from dry"
cou 1ties, and in nearly every instance
these members expressed the belief
that the present local option laws are
good enough. There was, in fact, a
coalition of some sort between the To-
cal optionists and opponents of con-
stitutional prohibition.
The fight for statutory prohibition,
in the opinion of many members, will
be short, sharp and decisive. The
principal battle will be waged before
the house committee on liquor traffic,
and considerable doubt exists as t1
whether this committee will make q
favorable report on the measure.
Black Eye to Motion.
Before the adjournment last even
ing. Mr. Smith, of Holmes, changed his
vote from aye to nay on the prohibi
ton amendment and entered motion
to reconsider This motion was called
up this morning shortly after the
house convened. On the point of order
that a motion to reconsider could not
be entered when constitutions,
amendment had failed, Speaker Thorn
as took the matter under advisemen1
and decided that the point was wei
taken. This sounded the death kne;
of the amendment, so tar as the lowe1
house is concerned.
The house refused to consider tht
bill allowing the boards of supervisor
to order special elections to decide OF
the question of increasing the tax lev!
to mills for road purposes. Their
was little or no opposition to the mo
ton to table.
Nothing further of general interes
transpired in the house, and the sen
ate wrangled over the text book bill
the greater part of the day, accom-
} plished nothing, went into executive
session and later adjourned for tn
day. -