The Paducah evening sun., 1910-02-18
County Unit Killed.

Frankfort, KY, Feb. 1S.-The lOca'
option election fight switched to the
senate, and after a parliamentary
fight that waxed exceedingly warm
the Watkins county unit local option
bill and its twin brother, the Vice
bill. were both put to sleep for the
rest of the session, but the manner
of killing each bill differed widely.
While the Vice bill was put to
sleep by an unfavorable report of the
committee. the "dry" forces took an
other tack to save the Watkins bill.
and for over two hours they made
things very uncomfortable for the op-
ponents of the county unit measures.
the time being interspersed with brill
liant orator.cal fights and parlia-
mentary parties.
However, in the end the Watkins
bill was also killed, but by the close
margin of Is to 16. overruling Presi-
dent Cox, who had ordered the bill
placed in the orders of the day, after
being called from the committee
under a constitutional privilege by a
member. Senator Thomas.
The opponents OF the local option
bills were IN high feather after effect
ually disposing of both these trouble
some measures in one day. It is not
expected that they will dob up"
again in the upper branch during this
session.
When the Vice bill was reported
without expression of opinion by the
committee on religion and morals.
through its chairman. Senator Thomas
A. Combs. OF Lexington, President
Cox ruled that under the rules of the
senate II was indefinitely postponed
for the rest of the session and could
not be taken up again.
At this juncture. and before Sena-
tor Combs could make a report on
the Watkins bill, identical in its
provisions with the Vice bill. Senator
C. NJ Thomas. of Bourbon county.
invoked the provision of the consti-
tuition giving any senator the right
to call a bill from the hands OF n
committee after the bill had been in
It's hands a reasonable" time, and
he insisted that the bill be called
out and placed in the orders of the
day
This provoked a heated discussion.
senators taking sides and indulging
in constitutional arguments on the
question at issue. President Cox ac-
knowledged he was in doubt about
the matter and sent for AN opinion
from the attorney general, but before
this arrived he said he had been won
over by the argument of Senator j.
A. Donaldson, of Carroll county. a
supporter of the local option meas
ures. and ruled that the bill was
called out and took its place In the
order of the day.
An appeal was then taken by Sena-
tor Combs and more discussion fol-
lowed, which grew very acrimonious.
For time the PROCEEDINGS got badly
tangled, about a dozen drafts being
made of the appeal before one was
gotten up to suit President Cox, who
declared they did not state his posi-
ton correctly.
Senator Combs then appealed from
the decision of President Cox. Pend
ing the vote President Cox surren-
dered the chair to President Pro Tenn.
Conn Linn.
Senator Newcomb, of Louisville.
made a brilliant argument against
the ruling Of President Cox. He said
that. IL the chair was sustained. u
would mean the rout of the standing
committees and make them a useless
adjunct of the senate. The vote on
the appeal from the decision OF the
chair resulted is to 16 against the