The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1909-01-22
LOCAL OPTION LEGISLATION
Chances Favor Passage of Strong County
Option Bill

Preliminary skirmishing in the sen
ate last week indicates that the VETS
are compactly organized and by bring
ing their forces earlier into the field
won some preliminary advantages oi
position in the local option fight.
While repeatedly refusing the efforts ol
the dries" to force a test vote on
some significant measure, they have
elected Senator Ruth, one Of the
wet leaders, president pro TEN and
appointed thru him a committee OF
their own members to parcel out the
Senate patronage. As long as Lieu
tenant Governor Hay presides this ad-
vantage will not profit them but when
he becomes acting governor it may
prove a distinct advantage.
Whenever the leaders Of the local
option forces have been confronted by
anything which they felt would prove
a distinct disadvantage they have
forced a roll call vote and the anti
optionists have given way rather than
come into the open to be counted and
identified.
The most conspicuous examples of
this policy were the adoption by the
senate OF Metcalfs motion Wednesday
to create a new committee on public
morals and a motion by the same SEN
ator Thursday to suspend the rules and
Immediately confirm the committee
appointments made by the lieutenant
governor. There was anti-option op-
position to both Of these motions.
The leaders of the anti-option fight
are Knickerbocker, Ruth, Booth and
Smith, while the leaders for local op-
ton law and other moral legislation are
Falconer, Paulhamus, Fishback, Bas-
sett, Poison, Metcalf and Cotterill.
Until some kind of a test vote is taken
it will be impossible to classify all the
members, but known friends of local
option are Arrasmith, Blair, Bryan,
Cox, Davis and Cox. Three Spokane
senators--Huxtable, Hutchinson and
Whitney-have acted thus far with
the anti-optionists. Graves and Rosen-
haupt are not yet on record. Senator
Hutchinson intends to vote for both
the local option bill and the anti-race
track gambling bill, and Senator Rosen-
haupt makes no secret Of the fact that
he intends to do the same.
Lieutenant Governor Hay ascertained
the attitude Of each senator on local
option and could probably make an
accurate poll on the question. He
made use of this information SO to
frame the committees as TO favor and
facilitate consideration Of such legis-
lation. This has aroused the displeas-
ure Of some anti-option members, but
none of them made any public protest
against the confirmation of committee
assignments. Mr.. Hay placed on the
public morals committee, which will
consider the bill, six members who
favor local option and three who op-
pose, and on the rules committee,
which will determine the precedence
to be given in the consideration Of
bills, three members who favor local
option to two who oppose it. About
the same proportion runs through all
OF the important committees which
might possibly have anything to do
with such legislation or which might
be used to club members into line.
The local option members of the
public morals committee have already
determined in an informal conference
to introduce, refer TO committee and
promptly report a stringent and efec-
tive anti-saloon" local option bill, to
insist that no weakening amendments
to il be permitted and to force all
senators to go on record as voting fol-
OF against that bill before they viii
permit any substitute bill to be con-
sidered.
The committee viii use the bill
drafted by the State Anti-Saloon
league. A number Of less stringent
local option bills will probably be in.
troduced from time to time but the
majority members of the committee
take the position that this is the only
genuine "anti-saloon" bill and that al
Others are substitutes advocated BY
-. I;-,,or Eorcac