The Tupelo journal., 1904-02-19
THIRTY.SECOND DAY,

statutory prohibition" This is 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 on 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 n
counter the same elements of opposi-
ton.
A total of 109 votes were cast in
yesterdays balloting, 66 being for and
43 against the amendment. 1t lacked
eight votes of the number. The house
now contains 1872 members, one mem
Der having died recently. OF the TWEEN
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
city last summer the sole theme was
a statutory measure. The constitu-
tional amendment had not been pro-
posed or thought Of until the commit
tee made its report suggesting the en-
actment of a constitutional amend
ment, accompanied by a statutory law
to remain in force until the conSti-
tutional amendment could be submit
ted to the people and be inserted in
the constitution in case of successful
result.
A significant feature of yesterdays
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"
counties, 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 May members, will
De short, sharp n decisive. The
principal battle will be waged before
the house committee on liquor traffic,
and considerable doubt exists as to
whether this committee will make a
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 prohibit
ton amendment and entered a motion
TO reconsider. This motion was called
III this morning shortly after the
house convened. On the point of order
that a motion to reconsider could not
be- entered when a constitutional
amendment had failed, Speaker Thorn
as took the matter under advisement
and decided that the point was we'll
taken. This sounded the death knell
Of the amendment, so Tar as the lower
house is concerned.
The house refused to consider the
bill allowing the boards of supervisors
to order special elections to decide on
the question of increasing the tax levy
to 3 mills for road purposes. There
vas little or no opposition to the mo-
ton to table.
Nothing further of general interest
transpired in the house, and the SEN
ate wrangled yer the text book bill
plished nothing, went into executive
session and later adjourned for the
day.