Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-03-07
ENABLING BILL
is DEFEATED.
Senate Defeats The Enabling Bill Which
Had Previously Passed the House
Vote Was 23 to is.

By a vote of % TO Is the State Senate
Saturday defeated the Jordan enabling
bill, which had already passed the
House of Delegates and which provided
for a Statewide prohibition election on
petition of one-fourth of the qualified
voters who participated in the last gen.
eral election for State officers. The
most intense feeling prevailed over the
result of the vote, although it was con-
ceded early in the week that the Senate
was opposed to the prohibition referen-
dunn. This disposes of the issue finally,
but already movement is under way
to bring it before the legislature two
years hence. Two senators were pair
ed, except for which the vote would
have been "a to 16.
The recorded vote was as follows:
Ayes-Blanks, Crockett, Cummings,
Edmondson, Featherston, Gayle, Gra-
watt, Mapp, Royal, Saunders, Smith,
Tavenner, Tucker, Walker and West
is.
Nays-Bowers, Brock, Catron, Drew
~, Early, Fletcher, Folkes, Garrett,
Harman, Hart, Hobbs, Holt, Lesner,
Massie, Moncure, Montague, Psrr,
Paul, Rison, Sowder, Thornton, Wat
kins and Wendenburg-23.
Senator Echols announced that he
WAS paired with Senator Rinehart
Senator Echols would have voted No,
and Senator Rinehart Aye.
This accounts for the entire forty
members of the Senate as recorded on
the proposition.
When the fate of the bill was an
nounced there was some applause by
the ''wets" in the galleries.
Messenger boys made q harvest in de-
liverinG kilograms to the Senator'S
The messages came in blocks, in a
stream, and there were few Senators
who did not get them. Many Of the
Senators got dozen. The reading of
these kilograms worried some of the
solens, who furrowed their faces and
pulled their hair.
Perhaps the speech which created the
most comment was that of Senator
Folkes. He said that when the Lord
delivered Noah from the ara, He COM
manded him to plant q vineyard, and
that when the grapes were ripe Noah
made them into wine land proceeded to
get drunk in appreciation OF having es-
capped death by water"
Senator Royal, of Tazewell, as did
some of the other Senators supporting
the bill, gave the Senate warning that
this is not the end of the principle con-
tanned in the bill. They declared that
no political party could assume respon-
sibility for the defeat of such a meas
ure, and that it would come again and
that the fight would continue until it
had been successful. A mighty force is
behind the measure, he said, and the
sentiments it contains, and there will
come time when the people will rise
in their might and will say to the sena-
tors that they failed to do what the peo-
pie desired and they will send men who
will respond to their desires. The dec
laration was also made that this is not
a party measure, that no party can be
be held responsible for its defeat. 1t
is the Senate of Virginia, and each and
every man will be held responsible for
his vote by his constituents. Senator
Royals speech was q warm one, well
timed and in excellent taste. He made
reference to the language used by Sen
ator Folkes, saying that he regretted
having heard it.
Republican legislators are in high
glee over the defeat of the bill. They
do not hesitate to declare that it will
put the Democrats into a hole and that
they will, as the dominant party, be
held responsible for the defeat of the
measure.