Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-18

| come III 0oUSTeSS anu tiidl tho ii0N
tional legislators will be subjected
to pressure such as they have seldom
if ever experienced is the growing
conviction in Washington.
The fear is expressed by leaders OF
both parties, that when the test does
finally come, Congress will do as il
did in two important instances last
year, when called on to pass upon the
liquor question-disregard its own
| convictions and vote to appease pub
| lie clamor.
| 1t has long been matter Of com
| ment in Washington that the only
| way in which temperance legislation
can be prevented in Congress is by
holding the bills in committee and
by keeping them from the floor of the
House or Senate. When the average
member of Congress is face to face
with the liquor question and a dele
cation of temperance advocates he
NAV. drink like a fish himself, but he
will promptly record his vote In favor
of the drys.
That at least was the history of the
two most important developments OF
the last year in Congress. The pass
age of the Jones' Works excise law
for the District of Columbia and the
enactment of the Webb Kenyon law
to prohibit the shipment of liquor
into prohibition territory for sale
were regarded by the temperance
crusaders as red letter events on their
last years calendar.
They were elated not only over
what the laws might accomplish, but
over the way in which their enact
ment demonstrated the hold of the
antis upon the national legislature.
The ease with which the passage of
these laws was obtained has also left
it's impression on Congress. Few
members dared to oppose the meas
ures in the open and both went
through by overwhelming votes, the
Webb Kenyon bill over the veto of
President Taft The opposition was
confined chiefly to the committee
rooms, but when the bills were pushed
into the open members lined up
quickly in favor of them. They be-
lieved this was part of political
wisdom.
As the results of the passage of the
Jones' Works bill the city of Wash
ington now finds itself on Sundays
as dry as a burnt bone. A club mem
ber cannot even get a drink in his
own clubhouse on Sunday ana
foreigners who like little wine with
their dinners have to be content with
near beer if they are stopping at
the hotels.
There are some in Washington who
fl,a% nf hn
of liquor has not yet gone as far in
the national capital as it will go. 1t
is pointed out that only a few years
ago liquor and other strong bever-
ages were served in the Capitol. That
was done away with in response to
public sentiment, and the fear agitat-
ing many here now is that the antis
will finally demand that Washington
be made absolutely dry so as to be
shining example for the rest Of the
country,
It may be remarked though that the
average member Of Congress is no
fool in diagnosing sentiment "back
home" and when he votes with the
antis it is because he believes that
there is real Sentiment in their favor
in his district. 4
The developments of the last year
Indicate clearly the drift which is be-
ing reflected in Washington and
which many believe is bound to re-
suit in further national legislation. .
The following facts are given on the
authority of representatives of the
Anti Saloon League, which maintains
Offices here and which is the most
vigorous of the campaigning organi-
cations:
In twenty States affirmative anti
saloon legislation was enacted last
year. These enactments varied in i'm
portance from the Arkansas law,
which requires a petition by a ma
jority of white adults of munich
pality for the establishment of
saloon and which practically results
in Statewide prohibition, to cSunty
option and law enforcement meas
ures of smaller scope.
"At the beginning of 1913 there
were nine States which had passed
prohibition laws and anti saloon ad-
vocates assert that before the end of
the present year their aggressive or
ganization will have procured the en-
actment of Statewide prohibition laws
in four more States, Virginia, Idaho,
Iowa and California.
Arrangements have already been
made for these States to vote on the
issue this year.
The nine States before Jan. 1, 1913,
which had enacted prohibition laws
were Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Mis-
sissippi, North Carolina, North Da-
kota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West
Virginia. These States have popu-
lation of nearly 100000 persons.
1t is contended that there are II
States in which 30 per cent. of the
population live in so-called no license
territory These States are Alabama,
Arkansas, Colorado, Florida. Idaho,
Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hamp-
shire, South Carolina, South Dakota,
Texas, Vermont, Virginia, which have
a population of more than 26,000,000.
There are 13 States in which 25
per cent Of the population, it is al
legged, live in no license territory,
namely California, Delaware, Illinois,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Utah. Wash