The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-12
WILL BEGIN FIGHT
IN STATE SENATE
Advocates of Enabling Act
Prepared for This Course
if Necessary
TO KEEP CALLING FOR
BILL IN THE HOUSE
MIR. Williams Will Introduce
Resolution Calling for
Two Sessions of the
House Each Day

Early this week. probably tomorrow
unless the House shall vote to take up
the measure out Of its order today, the
Enabling Act Will be introduced In
the Senate.
ii is known to be the desire of the
temperance leaders not to have this
measure take this course II IL can be
avoided, but II is realized that longer
oeiay IN reaching "A vote In the House
would mean death for the measure.
On Saturday the motion to take up
the Jordan ena bling act out OF its or
der again failed Of the necessary two
thirds, the vote being IS ayes TO 81
noes. Several members who had on
the day before voted against the TAX
ing up OF the measure voted for IL, but
there We're absentees from their ranks
OF the temperance people and two
gentlemen. who, on Friday. voted
Aye" on Saturday voted in the mega
tive.
Another Vote With Full House.
A third vote will be called for on
the proposition today. and the final Ill
innate strength OF both sides VIII be
pretty well shown in the vote. There
were twenty-thrce members who fall
ed to vote on Saturday. In three cases
dry men were paired with absent
wet" members. this accounting for
the failure ef the names Of Aessr,
Bell. Norris and Rev from being re-
corded with those Of their dry" as
sociates.
The Temperance leaders feel that the
votes already taken SO clearly indi-
cate the sentiment OF the House in
favor OF the ultimate passage of the
bin that their cause has been in1meaS-
ura bly, STRENGTHENED in the Senate. and
they viii ask the Senate for early ac-
ton in the matter
Composition of Committee.
The Senate Committee of Privileges
and Elections, TO which the measure
will be referred consists OF Msssrs.
Saxon w. Holt. chairman, OF New
port News: George 7. Rison. OF Pitt
syivania; a. II. Hobbs. of Prince
George: y. b, Early, Jr.. of Greene; IL.
A Edmondson. Of Halifax; Sands
Gayle. of buckingham; J. NJ. Hart, Of
Roanoke city; h. c. l.. Moncure, of
Stafford: O. Walter Mapp. Of Acco-
mac. and Edmund Parr, of Patrick.
The chairman of the committee Is
one of the strong wet" men of the
Senate. and WAS one Of the principal
: opponents OF the measure TWO years
ago,
A resolution viii be introduced in
the House of Delegates today by Mr.
Williams, Of Giles. providing that be
ginning at once the House shall hold
two sessions each day So long as II
shall be necessary for disposins OF
the measures on the calendar.
Having been defeated twice by tho
wet" minority Of the House on n
vote to take up the Jordan enabling
act out Of its order, the dry ma
1ority. while not giving up the night
to give the measure "a privileged posi-
ton on the calendar. will press the
DISPOSITION of the bills on the calendar.
BY holding two sessions each day
the enabling act" might be reach
ed in little more than a week II
oyer-much time Is not consumed IN
debate on other measures
There are however. several bins
that will consume a great deal OF time.
The tax commission bin will be re-
pcrted out OF the Finance COMMITTEES
today, and will at once take It's place
at the head OF the calendar, having
been a special order when sent back
to committee.
The bill will take up in it's discus
sion day or more, as 1t VIII meet
With considerable opposition even IN
IN amended form The-e Ia rev lust
about an even chance OF the bill get
ting through the House with the prob
abilities still against 1T, notwithstand-
ing the admitted need for some leSis-
iation and machinery to bring about
an equalization of taxes.
Anti-Treating Bill Today.
The bill that has precedence today
and will probably cause as fnueh ois-
Cussion as any measure before the
House ND to this time is the Fftzhugh
antI-treating bill which prohibits the
!, rfx.inr ef Intoxicating liquors, by one
nerson 10 another. The measure has
large number of staunch adherents
in the House even among men OF pro-
nounced "wet" sentiments. While
there Will be considerable opposition
the bill will carry by good major
ity. ~, CO...
~ the Balm anti-jug measure, and
the Jennings bill to prohibit the issu-
Ing of licenses permitting the shipping
~ LIQUOR into dry" territory. Both
Of these bills perished In committee.
and nothing in the nature OF meas
IRE looking to guarding dry COM
muntties from the inroads OF the
..wets.' has been introduced as a SUD
stitute. From present appearances
the dry" people are stalking their al
mon the success OF the enabling act"
niacing all Of the temperance legisia-
tive eggs in the submission basket.
matchmaking Bill Up.
The Senate Committee on General
Laws will this afternoon conslder tns
Gfephenson anti-gambling Dill. ana
there will be a strong fight In COM
mtttee to again emasculate the meas
IRE which has received the endorse
ment OF the House by vote OF some--
thing ike seven to one. 1t may not
have occurred to the members OF the
General Assembly. but II Is neverthe-
less true that this measure Is the only
strengthening the laws 9. the State
have had at this session to prevent
the eemi-annual invasion OF the State
by the race track gambling element
ana should this measure be seriously
weakened by amendment In the Sen
ate there is no reason TO oeiieVe tnat
measure through now to protect the
state against the book-making and
other evils Of the race track situation.
The House Finance Committee on
AnA nj - \