The log cabin Democrat., 1909-05-07
EXTRA SESSION REQUESTED
Western Methodist Wants State
 wide Submitted.
Church Organ Scores Statutory" Leaders Charging them with Defeat
 of Legislation

Little Rock, May 7.-The fol. lowing editorial appears in today's issue of the Western Methodist:
 When the present legislature of Arkansas met there was in that body clear majority for submit ting the question of statewide pro- hibition to vote of the people, clear majority in both branches of the legislature. The democratic party had made the pledge in its platform that the question would be submitted. The day never was when a majority both in the house and in the senate would not have upheld the pledge of the platform, if they should be brought face to face with the simple issue of sub- mission. The Anti-Saloon League, at whose instance such plank was placed in the platform, was insisting that the platform be car ried out. The governors message asked for precisely the same thing. Why then has it not been done? This is the answer: Certain men who proclaimed themselves truer friends of temperance than the Anti Saloon League, and who claimed to know more about how to do things than the Anti-Saloon League, appeared at the legislature and insisted that statute be pass ed outright, saying that the pur- pose to submit the question was political subterfuge. They got together a number of members of the legislature who agreed that an immediate statute could be passed. Nearly everybody connected with the Anti i-Saloon Leaue insisted that while such bill could be passed in the house it would be found utterly impossible to pass 1t through the senate. The editors of the Western Methodist in particular earnestly protested against sacrificing the certainty of submission for the slenderest sort of a chance of an immediate statute. But the so-call- ed statutory people were immovable and determined to make the fight on their line. Members of the Anti Saloon League did not feel that they could afford to fight against their efforts, and so stand before the legislature as a house divided against itself. Some of us agreed that we would simply stand aside and let the so-called statutory peo- pie make their effort, agreeing to throw no obstruction in their way. The editors of the Western Metho- dist were among this number. Some of us, who thought there might be chance for them to win, agreed to help them develop their case. We waited on them till about the first of April. They had agreed that in the event they could not make headway they would all turn to us and help us put through a submission measure. The result was first the Gam bill, a stat utory" measure, which the house passed, and which the senate amended into a submission meas ure, which in this condition lost about all its friends, and which, had it been passed in any form would, in our judgment have left sixty counties in Arkansas in worse condition than they are i'll under local option for it would have opened the way for little cheap
 'drugstores" throughout the state, with barrel of whiskey in the back ends of them. Still, the statutory" men hung on. The house went into numerous factions, member after member introducing bill and mastering following for it. And still the statutory" men held On -pitiat ly! Alter their efforts had become in the judg- ment of some of us an open farce we opened operations with the sen ate to get a simple submission measure passed and sent down to the house, as the only possible means of drawing together the them warning factions there. But just at this juncture the capitol bill and the bill for the removal of the state university got into the senate, and completely absorbed the attention of that body until last Tuesday morning.
 By this time the calandar was loaded, and the only way to reach the submission question is to call it up out of its order, which re- quires two-thirds vote. But a