The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-03-05

Washington, Feb. 2S.-The Webb
liquor bill. prohibiting the shipment
of liquor into dry" States, was re-
passed in the Senate today over Pres
ident Taft's veto within two hours
from the time the Presidents message
of disapproval had been laid before
that body.
A short debate, in which the advo-
Gates of the bill voted down a motion
to postpone action until tomorrow,
and in which they reaffirmed their be-
lief that the measure is constitutional,
ended with the repassage of the bill
by the large majority of 63 to 21.
The Webb bill passed both houses
of Congress and went to the President
ten days ago. His veto message reach
ed the Senate about 8 o'clock today,
accompanied by an opinion from At
torney General Wickersham.
Basing his decision upon the Attor-
ney Generals findings, the President
expressed the belief that the measure
was clearly unconstitutional because
it gave the State the right to inter-
fere with interstate commerce.
The Senate took up the bill at once.
Attorney General Wickersham's opin-
ion was not read and Senator Kern
asked that a final vote on the over
riding Of the veto be delayed until to-
morrow, so Senator'S might have the
opportunity to examine the Attorney
Generals arguments. A motion made
by Mr. Kern to postpone the vote un-
til IL o'clock tomorrow was defeated,
II to 8.
Senator McCumber declared both
the President and the Attorney Gen.
eral had misconstrued the grounds
upon which Congress had passed the
prohibition law. He said it had not
attempted to give the States the right
to interfere with commerce, but had
simply declared liquor IAN outlaw"
and then had prescribed conditions
under which it might enter interstate
commerce.
Senator Kenyon also briefly urged
repassage Of the bill, while Senators
Paynter and Percy advocated support
OF President Taft's veto.
The vote follows:
To override the Presidents veto:
Senators Ashurst, Borah, Brady, Bris-
tow. Brown. Bryan, Burnham, Burton.
Chamberlain. Chiffon. Clarke, OF Ar
kansas; Crawfod, Culberson, Cullom,
Cummins, Curtis. Dillingham;, Dixon,
Fall. Fletcher. Gallinger. Gamble,
Gardner. Gore. Gronna Jackson,
johnson, Johnston, Jones, Kavan-
augh. Kenyon. Kern, Lea. Lodge, NC
Cumoer. Martin. Myers. Nelson. New
lands, oliver. Overman. owen, Page,
Pittman, Poindexter. Sheppard, Shiv-
ely, Simmons. Smith. OF Arizona;
Smith OF Georgia; Smith, of Maryland;
Smith of Michigan; Smith, Of South
Carolina; Smoot. Swanson. Thomas,
Thornton, Tillman. Townsend, Webb,
Williams, Works-Total, So.
To sustain the Presidents veto:
Bradley, Brandegee. Catron. Graz,
Dupont, Foster, Guggenheim, Me-
Lean, MARITIME. OGorman, Paynter,
Penrose, Percy. Perkins, Pomerene,
Richardson, Root, Stephenson, Suth-
erland. Warren. Wetmore-Total 81.
Effort will be made tomorrow to
override the veto in the House. Rep
resentative Clayton, of Alabama, will
move to take up the veto for the pur-
pose OF passing the bill over the Presi-
dents head as soon as the House con-
venes. Representative Webb, author Of
the bill. declared he had absolute con-
fidence that the House would repass
the bill by more than a two-third ma
jority.
After giving this proposed enact
ment tull consideration, wrote the
President in his veto message, Il be-
licve IL to be Il violation of the inter-
state commerce clause Of the Consti-
tuition, in that IL is in substance and
effect delegation by Congress to the
state of the power Of regulating in
terstate commerce in liquors, which is
ves' I'd exclusively i'm Congress.
1T is said that this is a question
with which the Executive or members
of Congress should not burden them
selves To consider or decide. 1t is said
that II should be left to the Supreme
Court to say whether this proposed
Act violates the Constitution. | dis
sent utterly from this proposition. The
oath which the Chief Executive takes
and which each member of Congress
takes does not bind him any less sa-
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