The Washington herald., 1907-02-15

The ProhibitiOnist Host were as good as
their word and swept through the Capt.
tol yesterday 1,S09 strong. IL was a red
letter day for the White Ribboners, and
they enjoyed it 90 the fun. The greater
part of the host We're fashionably dressed
ladies' and Of these a very considerable
proportion were pretty girls. Possibly
there were $50 men in the assemblage.
and many Of them were clergymen.
Everybody was in jolly humor and,
save for the clashing of the speakers who
addressed the House District Committee,
al was as merry as a wedding.
For an hour before the Host was TO
form its line of march every street car
approaching the Capitol was crowded
with PTOhibitionists and their antagO-
nists. The latter, however. were much
fewer in numbers The Prohibitionists
all wore as a badge of their faith small
bows Of white ribbon. The great space
OF the Rotunda was thronged to its cir
conference at $50 O'Clock. One of the
first things attended to was TO marshal
the host on the east steps Of the Capitol
to be photographed. That done the line
of march was taken through the Rotunda
past the room of the District Commit
tee and on 10 Jnt House. Miss Phoebe
Couzins. the veteran woman sufragist,
was taken into the room in wheel chair
The procession went around the hall of
the House. passing through the Speaker
lobby and then back TO the Rotunda.
There was no demonstration in the way
Of noise. and the throEg maintained per
feet order throughout. Silent prayer.
which il had been agreed should be sub
stiuted for the blowing of rams horns
after the manner OF another host of
ScripturaI record. being wholly "a subjec-
tive process, il was not discernible TO
spectators whether that feature of the
programme was carried out or not,
The District Committee room filed up
rapidly when the most reached IT, Mem
bers of the committee who were little
behind time had great difficulty in getting
in All during the speeches before the
committee the doorway and the corridors
were crowded with women trying TO catch
what they could Of the proceedings within.
Little could be heard however. except
now and then loud and excited speaking
end 1ugry AID high-voiced replies. The
greater number of the people spent the
time while the hearing was I'm progress
a. LOOKING about the Capitol or listening
10 the proceedings in the House and
Senate.
Representative Webber Speaks.
The hearing was opened by Representa-
tive We0ber. the author OF the prohibition
b.H which is pending before Congress
lie spent the FIVE minutes allotted TO him
in presenting a strong statistical argu-
ment. he said that 80 per cent Of the
prisoners in the District Jail, and also a
like proportion Of the inmates of the
v-orkhouse and insane asylum, were there
because Of drink. Notwithstanding the
large revenue from liquor licenses, it fell
short by $4,000 from the amount spent
10 provide for those who are thrown on
The public support as consequence OF
the drink evil The drink bin of the Dis
trict. he said. was S2.500.00o a year He
spoke of the moral element represented in
the demonstration of the day, and urged
that If the committee could not see its
way clear 10 report the bin favOrably
that they return il to the House without
recommendation, 50 that the question
could be fought out on the floor Of the
House
President john II Brinkmau. Of the
Central Labor Union. followed on the
other side. He said that he represented
-. 900 members who were opposed 10 the
bill Rev. G. g. DOney spoke for the bill,
representing the Anti-Saloon League. Rev.
Donald Macleod urged for 10000 Presby-
terians that the committee recommend the
bin fav0rably. He predicted that sooner
or later the cause they stood for would
succeed Rev. Weston Bruuer, speaking
for l.000 Bapusts made a spirited appeal
Rev. G. W. King said he appeared for
100000 AIethodists ana ] S00 pastors who
wanted prohibition in the District. Rev.
+. y. Power. for the Christian Church.
spoke of the drink evil as "a cancer at the
,itals OF the nation Mrs. Clinton Smith
Tor the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, told the COMMITTEE that her con-
stituency had besieged the very doors of
the committee and were waiting without
for the good news that they would sup
port the Webber bill.
". L.. Van Mater, for the Rechabites:
Rev. C.. +. Winbigler, for the Prohibition
Crusaders, A. +. Shoemaker for the
Anti-Salocn League; Edward Turing for
the Good Templars, and ". A. Hickey,
FOR the Catholic Total Abstinence Union.
urged the passage Of the bill.
An Authorization Speech.
Robert Crane, speaking for the Brewers
Association Of the District, made strong
speech for the opposition. Mr. Crane said
that prohibition had been a failure wher-
ever tried. Saloons were run openly in
defiance of law and drinking was in
creased in a spirit Of braggart defiance Of
the restraint sought 10 be imposed. He
quoted from Bishop Potter TO support his
statement. and the prohibitionists began
to hiss and jeer. The demonstration was
so daring that It soon increased to a shout
Of protest, interspersed with groans and
cat calls.
Dir. Crane went on to say that Neal
Dow, the renowned Maine prohobitionist,
had admitted on his deathbed that he had
made an error in advocating prohibition.
and the Prohibitionists broke out in one
voice, THAT IS not tTue,' The speaker
said that prohibition in the South had
been worse than license. as it developed
blind tigers and increased drinking and
crime, and Representative Sims, mem
Der of the committee. speaking for his
State Of Tennessee. denied the charge
with some show of feeling.
Once more the name of Bishop Potter
was mentioned, and again there was long
kissing. Again Mr.. Cranes statements
about blind tigers in Tennessee aroused
Mr. Sims. and he told Mr.. Crane he was
in error The sharp Colloquy that enSued
gave the prohibitionists much encourage
ment. as il showed that the committee
was not soidly against them. j. /.
Feeney spoke for the Central Labor
Union. and said the workingmen did not
want prohibition laws, He said he was a
total abstaineT and Jonadab. but he was
opposed to prohibition laws. because they
did not stop drinking. He predicted that
the Weber bill, if passed, would make the
workingmen of Washington vioIators of
the Law. e. ". Darr commended the IL
cense laws of the District, and said they
reduced the evil to a minimum.