Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-09
Galleries Crowded by Its Friends, Who
Applaud Supporters on Floor
COMMISSION BILL MAY Be AMENDED
Some Want Provision Inserted Making
Present Rates the Maximum.
WOULD SIMPLIFY COMMISSIONS WORK
Railroad Lobbyists Busy Trying 20
XIII on the Terminal Taxation
and the Primary
bills.
(From a stat correspondent.l

LINCOLN. Feb. S.-Cspecisl,) lin the pres
ence of a gallery and lobby hlled with
friends of the measure the county option
bill was killed this afternoon in the senate
by a vote OF IL to 20. Every senator was
present but Gibson OF Douglas, and he was
paired with wiltse Of Cedar. who favored
the bill.
The debate called out considerable ora
tory on both sides and the gallery fire.
quently interrupted with applause for the
defenders of the bill. This led Wilsey Of
Frontier to jump to his feet and move the
galleries be cleared, but a chorus Of noes"
from the members and Kisses from the
gallery drowned him out and his motion
was not put.
The hackers Of the bill have realized since
the test vote yesterday that they were up
against a losing fight, but at the same time
they died game and contended for every
inch of ground up to the time of the final
roll call.
Immediately after the session began after
the noon recess the senate went into COM
mittee Of the whole with Thomas of Doug
las in the chair. Every available seat was
taken in the gallery and on the floor OF
the senate, while in the lobby there was
not an inch of standing room to spare.
AS a sop thrown out to the opponents
of the bill, Wilcox moved to amend It by
requiring 20 instead of 10 per cent to sign
the petition for the submission of license
or no license to a vote. This was lost,
sixteen members voting against it. Then
Patrick offered another amendment pro-
viding the vote could be taken only once
in four years instead OF once In two years.
This was lost by a vote of Is to II. Wilcox
then made the formal motion to recommend
the bill for passage and Dodson of Saline
moved as a substitute it be indefinitely
postponed.
Prohibitionists Are Denounced.
King of Polk started the debate with an
address of over half an hour in favor of
the bill. He said he understood the op-
ponents of the measure had said they had
enough votes to kill IT, but he insisted II
ought to have a fair discussion before tho
senate. even IL It would have no effect on
the result. He took occasion in the course
of his address to score the prohibitionists
who he said were largely responsible for
the defeat of their bill because they re-
sorted to villifcation and refused to sup
port men who were honestly in favor OF
rigid liquor laws, because they refused TO
subscribe to the third party platform. His
remarks were answered by Wilson OF Paw
nee Wilsey of Frontier, Sibley and Byrnes,
who replied denouncing the bill as unfair
in that It gives the prohibitionsts two
whacks at their side Of the question. where
the license party would have only one.
Wilcox and Patrick defended the measure.
The vote on the motion to indefinitely
postpone was 10 in the Affirmative the
negative not being taken. The cor1mittee
of the whole then adjourned, and the SIGHT
was taken onto the floor Of the senato
proper Thomas moved the report of the
committee recommending the indefinite
postponement of the bill be adopted.
sackett moved as a substitute that 1t be
not concurred in, and King demanded a
roll call The vote on sackett's substitute
was as follows: