The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-19
Folks Back Home Bringing
Pressure to Bear on Wavcrcrs
and Their Predieament Most
Unpleasant One.
PARR WILL. STICK
TO GUNS, UNLESS.
PatrickSenator Perturbed Over
Message from Embattled
Farmers of Home County
But Heart Undergoing
Change Very Slowly.

The enabling act, the most intar.
esting topic OF conversation and dis
cussion in the legislature and places
where solons gather. viii pass the gem
eral assembly by a larger margin than
usual. This is the gossip that Ii free
~ passed around and more freely pre-
dicted by friends of the bill. Never
before have delegates and senators.
especially the latter. been beset by
inquiries from home as to where they
stand on Il question as they have on
this one, and daily the huge budgets
of mail of the members bristle with
questions and urgings for the paaaaGe
of the bill.
Despite the fact that much pressure
has been brought to bear for the early
passage of the measure in the house,
it has practically been decided that
the bill will be given a full hearing
on the floor of the house. and certain
amendments, to more fully e0plA30
the meaning of the measure, viii Be
made 1t will probably he Wodneg-
day before it is put on tn paSsAgo.
Constituents After Paxr.
A strong example OF the feeling tn
enabling act has aroused wnD tbs
meeting held at Stuart, IN the di1fx3ct
of Senator Parr. OF five hundred moan-
bers of the Farmers union, at which
a resolution was drafted. requesting
Senator Parr to vote for the enabalug
act and make his position plain "a
his constituents.
When seen Sunday nigh Senator
Parr was greatly impressed with tho
meeting In his district, but said that
unless he experienced a change OF
heart he would vote against tho bill
He declared that his district was
already dry, and the passage OF khe
measure would not make It moro -.
and he did notS bellows In usEng =
majority to crush minority.
Senator Parr said that 10 was
elected by his people on purely = l0-
cal option PLATFORM; that The On
ahling act was not broanhed to hlzn
during the campaign. As he w19
elected on a local option platform.
he said he did not think that that was
any indication on the part OF the
people of favoring Statewide prohl-
bition. and he would not betray their
condolences by voting Tor the meo9-
ure--at least he did not think ho
would.
shared by others.
Senator PARIS predfcament 10 shared
by many other members OF the sem
ate. They have felt the beat of the
pulse of their constituents, and when
the day comes for the calling OF the
roll on the enabling act. many Will
sit in their seats. with great drops OF
sweat on their brow. waiting to Soc
on which side Of the fence they should
drop
However. the matter is becoming
more pressing and their people have
begun to call for stand on the mat
ter and it is said that several OF the
doubtful members have expressed
themselves as favoring the passage Of
the bill. 1t is freely predicted that
when the roll Is called and the tide
is turned, 1t will be landed in favor OF
! the measure. 81
Mr. Oliver. of Fairfax, whose at
tempted filibuster on Friday, and again
on Saturday, failed, will again take the
floor of the house today in vigorous
protest against the bill, and Will bring
some unique arguments to bear. How
( ever, there are many others who have
! expressed themselves anxious to
answer Mr.. oliver and discuss his
unique argument. Tomorrow promises
to be exceedingly interesting.
big Lobby busy. ~
But still more interesting 10 the
liquor lobby that has thronged the
corridors of the capitol and Murphys
hotel. Hosts as vast as the famous
grasshopper hordes of the Kansas
wheat fields. are busy day and night
and money is as free as water.
over the doubtful members most
of these same doubtful members stated
that he had never seen such a lobby
in his life as was working for tbs
liquor interests.
Some of them are practically guard
ed day and night and as soon a. his
tousIed head appears from among tha
folds of his blanket that senator 10
in for the talk of his life and II -
a safe bet that he gets it. However,
/ it is said no progress has bean made
I and the bill will soon be on its wAy
4 for the governors signature. \