The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-12-26
PROHIBITION RESOLUTION LOST
uOBSON MEASURE FAILS OF PAS.
SAGE by SIXTY-ONE VOTES.

Washington, Dec. 22.-The HoEson
resolution to submit q constitutional
amendment for national prohibition
to the State legislatures was defeated
in the house tonight, 1877 members
voting for and 1S9 against it.
All seven of South Carolina's con-
gressional delegation voted for the
the Hobson amendment to establish
constitutional nationwide prohibi-
ton Of the liquor traffic when the
resolution came to a vote in the
house yesterday.
An affirmative vote Of two-thirds
was required to adopt the resolution.
Party lines were wiped out in the
struggle. Democratic Leader Under
wood and Republican Leader Mann
fought shoulder to shoulder at the
head of the forces opposing the res
olution. ls And when the vote came, of
the 1877 standing for the resolution
ia were Democrats, 60 were Re-
publicans, II were Progressives and
four were Progressive Republicans.
Immediately after announcement
Of the vote the house adjourned. the
crowd that had packed the galleries
throughout the prolonged debate dis
persing with mingled expressions of
regret and jubilation.
Prohibition leaders declared the
vote Of 1877 for the resolution had
come up to their expectations.
Whether a similar resolution submit
ted by Senator Sheppard Of Texas
would reach a vote in the senate this
session was not certain tonight.
Administration leaders were in
clined to believe it would not because
it could not pass the house.
Notwithstanding repeated public as
sertions that many members Of the
house would try to dodge record
vote, the roll call disclosed a larger
attendance than the average through
out the session. To have carried the
house the Hobson resolution would
have required 25S affirmative votes.
1t thus failed to carry by 61 votes.
The roll call came after more than
ten hours Of debate. 1t was at the
conclusion Of one Of the most stirring
Of recent days in congress, and after
votes on several amendments, that
the final vote was reached. Represen-
tative Hobson had closed the general
debate, participated in by all the
house leaders.
Although advocates of the resolu-
ton predicted it would receive a ma
jority vote, many Of them, including
Mr.. Hobson, conceded that it would
not receive the two-thirds necessary
for passage.
Before the roll call began Repre-
sentative Hobson presented an amend
ment to his resolution authorizing
congress and the States concurrent
ly" to enforce the prohibition provis-
ion by "needful legislation" 1t was
adopted without division. An amend
ment by Representative Adamson
giving the States absolute control
over legislation under the proposed
prohibition amendment was voted
down, 80 to 179.
Representative Hobson made a final
spectacular move.
"Mr. Speaker" he said, II wish
to ask whether any member of this
house who has a financial interest in
the question now pending who owns
stock in distilleries or breweries. who
owns a saloon or who has property
leased to liquor interests, can under
the rules vote on this question"
The speaker explained that accord
ing to precedent if a member was af-
fected as one of a class the rule would
not prevent his voting, but that the
question usually was left to the men,
ber himself.
The first indication Of the lineup
came on roll call on an amend
ment offered by Republican Leader
Mann which would have submitted
the amendment to State conventions
instead Of State legislatures as the
HObsOn resolution prescribes. Two
hundred and ten voted with Repre-
sentative HObson against the amend
ment and 176 voted for it
After the defeat of the Mann
amendment Representative Hobson
offered several perfecting amend
ments The first altered the phrase
Ology of the first section of the pro-
posed amendment and included a pro-
hibition against any "expOrtation' Of
intoxicating liquors. IT was adODted