The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-12
PEOPLES FORUM
The Webb Kens on Sheppard Bill--The Cancels

Nose.
The webb-Kenyon- Sheppard bill has at last
passed both houses OF congress and am glad to
be able to report that both of the Virginia sena-
tors. and every member of the lower house
favored the BILL and all voted for it. except CON
gressmen Slemp and Turnbull, who were absent
when the vote was taken.
The vote In the house the passage of the
bin was--teas 23s nays Cd present and not
voting s. absent IS. The parliamentary situation
well handled. The bill had been hung up in
the house committee of the judiciary, blocked by
the Archboid Impeachment proceedings and by
the employers liability bill, both OF which had
precedence. But our friends pushed for re-
port and ii was finally agreed to take a vote on
the bill in the committee Wednesday 5th. This
vote had and the bill reported favor
ably, and took Its place on the calendar. There
just four weeks remaining, and none OF
the great appropriation bills had been passed by
! both houses. The senate had set Monday. Feb
ruary 10th. the day for the vote on the bill.
II was important to get action by the house first.
80 that when the senate voted the bills could be
made to conform to each other as there was
difference in the two bills they then
stood, and the liquor forces were hoping that the
bills would be referred to a conference commit
tee and delayed and defeated.
But the committee on rules in the house list
ened to the plea of our workers and brought in
Il rule calling for a vote the bill Saturday,
February Sth. giving three hours for debate OF
course there was opposition. 1t was asserted that
congress had time to give to the measure.
with the great appropriation bills still unfinished.
But Representative Henry, of Texas, chairman
of the committee rules, declared In his speech.
closing the argument for the adoption Of the
rule, that the question Of controlling the liquor
traffC iS as important as any appropriation bill"
He summarized the bill in few words In the
declaration the "bfll only proposes that liquors
intended to be shipped into States in violation of
the laws of those States shall be prohibited. To-
day we appeal to you to maintain the integrity OF
State governments, and the right of local self
government to let the people of every State con-
troll the liquor traffic they see proper"
The rule was adopted on roll call by vote
Of I'll yeas to so nays. 10 not voting. Then
followed the debate, with the State liquor argu-
ment OF Unconstitutional" which has served MS
the excuse of so many statesmen who want
bill to pass, but who cannot overcome their con-
stitutional scruples" and the vote. with it's
wheming majority, many OF those who voted
for the bill itself, notably MIR. Mann the Repub-
lican floor leader who at first denounced the
effort to take the bill up "tnEam game"
because there was no hope Of rs passage mt this
session. II the house passed this bill and the
senate the bill before 1t, 1t would be necessary
TO have conference. and the bill would fail
But Mr.. Mann mistaken, The Anti-saloon
leaders showed their good generalship in the
senate. When the Kenyon bill was. taken up,
the. debate was ON the passage OF that DilT and
at p. M the senate proceeded to vote upon
that bill and the amendments thereto. Most Of
the amendments were efforts to destroy the effec-
tiyeness of the measure and they were voted
down without a division except the amendment
offered by Senator OGorman. of New York who
although as Democrat. he would be considered
a believer in States rights, lined up with Senator
Root the Republican leader. in effort to kill
the bill by Offering the following amendment:
But nothing In this act shall be construed to
forbid the interstate shipment OF liquors. herein
defined, into any State territory or district
where the intended for sacramentai
purposes for the personal use Of the owner.
or consgnee thereof or for the members OF his
family"
The vote this amendment was taken by
yeas and nays, and resulted yeas 81 nays so:
not voting. IA. as follows
Yeast,
Bacon. Bankhead, Bradley, Brandegee Bur-
ton. Catron. du Point. Crane. Guggenheina, Hitch
cock, Johnson Maine; Johnson Alabama;
Kavanaugh, La Toilette, Lodge, Mclean Mar
tine, New Jersey; O'Gorman Oliver PAINTER
Perkins. Pomerene. Richardson Root stephen.
son, Stone. Sutherland. Thomas TiIlman Wet
more. williams.
Nays--50.
Ashurst Borah. Bourne Brady Bristov
Brown, Bryan, Burnham, Chambe Clamp
Clark, Wyoming; Clarke. Arkansas, Crawford
Culberson, Cummins Curtis, Dillingham; Dixon
Fletcher. Gallinger. Gamble Gardner, Gore.
Gronna. jackson. Jones, Kenyon lea. Idppitt.
McCumber, Martin, Virginia; Myers, Nelson.
Newlands, overman, Owen Page Poindexter.
Sheppard. Simmons. Smith. Arizona: Smith
Georgia: Smith Maryland Smith Michigan:
Smith. South Carolina: Swanson Thornton,
Townsend Webb Works.
Not voting-f4
Briggs Chiffon, Culom. Fall Foster Kern,
Massey. Penrose. Percy, Reed, Shively, smoot
Warren. Watson.
Several Of those not voting were absent and
the others werA paired with the absentees
The adoption OF this amendment would have