Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-02-26
PROHIBITIONISTS
 ASK FOR STATUTE

iSlatiVe Enactment Kather Than by ! Submission to Voters at Special
 Election.
 Little Rock, Feb. 25.--At a meeting
 of the temperance committee of the
 house last night, a number of promi- nent temperance advocates, represent ing the various temperance wings in
 the anti-saloon movement, appeared
 in defense of the plan to secure state
 wide prohibition by enactment. Il
 was evident throughout the hearing
 before the committee that there is a
 general preference among the tenn
 perance people for prohibition by stat utory enactment rather than by the
 plan to submit the matter to vote of
 the people at a special election.
 l Among those who appeared before the committee last night were Hon. John H. Hinen1on, former state super
 intendent of public instruction and now president Of Henderson College. at Philadelphia. President Hinemon made a general plea for statewide , prohibition, tut was especially inter- ested in the measure as a protection, he said, for the boys and girls of tho state. He declared that the argument in favor of saloons because of the revenue they produced Is less than an argument since, he said, 1t would be better to close the schools than 70 operate them on money obtained from this source.
 Rev. w. T. Amis, of Hot Springs, who made strong campaign for Statewide prohibition during the last gubernational primary, also spoke be- fore the committee last night. Dr. Amis attacked the plank in the Demo- cratic platform calling for the sub mission of the question of Statewide prohibition to the people at special election. He denounced the incorpor- ation of the plank in the platform as political trick and declared that any effort to get recognition against such measure was blocked. This plank is not what the people wanted" said he, "and the legislature has q perfect right to disregard 1t and en- act law providing for Statewide prohibition"
 Representative Brown of Indepenl- ence, who introduced the measure calling for submission of the ques- ton at special election, stated that he favored statutory prohibition, but that he had introduced the bill be- cause the idea had gained currency that any bill looking to that end would be killed. Col. George Thorn buryh, prominent worker in the Arkansas Anti-Saloon League. was also before the committee and declar- ed that the league, as body. wanted the passage of bill for Statewide prohibition, without waiting for any special election on the matter.
 Mrs. Lula Markwell. president of the State w. c. T. U.. made an ur- bent plea for the enactment of a Statewide prohibition law. Mrs. Mark we'll, like Professor Hinemon, spoke particularly In behalf of the younger generations, declaring that the alco- holc habit fastened itself so upon it's victim that it's effects descended to subsequent generations, and for tho sake of posterity some measure should be speedily enacted looking to the protection of the thousands of children of the State. She also in sisted that the argument in favor of revenue derived from saloon sources is worse than absurd. when the real interests of society are considered. Rev. Frank Barrett declared that the question of Statewide prohibition is the most urgent measure now be- fore the people of the State, in that lit is a moral question affecting the people of the State as whole. he Isaid He ridiculed the argument in favor of regulating saloons by high license" saying that 1t was merely playing with fire. He declared that nine States already have successfully solved the question of Statewide pro hibition and that Arkansas would profit by their example in falling into line. 9 1.t !
 The main bill providing for statu- tory prohibition that was before the committee at the time. Is the Gam bill.' and. this was the only measure discussed. thus establishing beyond any question that 1t is legislative enactment, and not submission to the people at s special election. that is