The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1909-04-22
Specisl Cores pondence.


has been occupied largely in passing
bills-passing bills in one house which
have passed in the other-and engross-
ing such bills. Up to Thursday there
had been passed and signed by the
governor only ten bills, none of them
of general interest to the people, ex-
cept the county school supervision
bills. Besides these the governor had
on his desk, under consideration, six
other bills which had passed both
houses. Several more reached his
desk later in the week. The close Of
the week witnesses less than twenty
perfected measures of legislation out
of fully one thousand which have been
before the legislature, not including
any OF the appropriation or revision
bills; but these figures exclude bills
which are duplicates introduced
in each House and which are exactly
alike. Hundreds of bills have been
engrossed and are now ready for a
final vote. In both houses there are
many bills of great importance which
have not yet been engrossed. No rev
enue raising measure has yet gone
through. The Senate has twice taken
up the Dowell liquor license bill,
which taxes all druggists, clubs, brew
ers, distillers, rectifers and wholesalers,
but has each time let go Of it before
making material progress in its con-
sideration It is now a special order
for next Wednesday. The liquor sell
ing clubs have representatives here to
oppose it, though the bigger liquor
interests the brewers, distillers. whole
salers and rectifers not made
much objection to. it. The liquor
selling clubs fight every proposition to
regulate them.
No dramshop OF other bills for regu-
lating the sale of intoxicants have been
received with favor in either house, and
the submission of prohibition has been
made a political proposition by the
Democrats rather than sincere mea-
sure intended to gratify the citizens
who have petitioned for it. It has
passed the House with the aid of the
Democratic leaders, who have fallen
back upon it as the best way to win
the votes which have been heretofore
allied with what they call Folkism-a
vote which they must hold if they
would carry the state in 1910. Only
a few of the Democrats in the House
voted against submission, and it was
supported on the Republican side only
by those members who represent con-
stituencies favorable to it. The Re-
pubiicans did not make party matter
of it, bu. left it to the judgment Of
each Individual to determine whether
his vote ought to be cast for or againt
it. The Democratic leaders, on the
other hand, for puerly political pur-
pose, tried hard to hold every Demo
cratic member in line for the resolu-
ton. On the final vote 80 Repub-
licans were recorded for it and 40
against it. The total vote was SO
ayes and 81 noes. Though it was ap-
parent that the Democrats were using
it for party purposes, the Republican
leaders declined to make a caucus
matter of it.
The Democrats in the Senate-even
the senators who are supposed to rep
resent the liquor interests are declar-
ing their intention to vote for it, and
at least three of the Republican SEN
ators senators who represent local
option counties will support it. There
is scarcely any doubt at this time that
it will pass, and it may be put through
next week, unless the Democratic
leaders back down. They are nov
trying to "crawfsh.
In the House $40 petitions have
been received for submission. They
came from nearly every county in the
state and the signatures number To-