Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-01-28

PROVIDES A BALLOT.
Amendments Give Voter Choice Be-
tween Local Option and Statewide
Prohibition at Special Election.

Richmond, Va, Jan. 2S.-Withir
two hours after taking it up the
Senate Committee on Privileges ant
Elections yesterday afternoon, by /;
vote of six to five, reported the VIII.
liams enabling act with the recon-.
nendation that it 30 not pass. Tc
:ha adverse recomemn @ation, the
committee added several amendments
the most important of which require:
the electorate to vote for Statewide
prohibition or for local option, instead
Of fc: or against State wide prohi,
bitten. as is provided in the bill.
1t was stated unofficially that the
Senators voted as follows:
Ayes: Senator's Holt, Massie. Hart
Parr, Montague, ana Hobbs-G.
Noes: Senators Early, Edmonson,
MaDp. Gayle and Moncure-5.
Al of the amendments were intro
duced by Senator Early. In the bill
IS it came from the house it was pro-
,iGad that ballots used in the spe
cial election, which it was proposed
to call to ascertain the will of the
people, should be marked for Estate
wide prohibition" and against state
wide prohibition" The amended bill.
substitutes for the last ballot
marke.. "for local option"
Another amendment requires that
the election shall be held CT June ii
1913, instead of on the fourth Tues
dav in the next ensuing month Of Sep
tenber after one-fourth OF the NUM-
her of persons voting ct the last reg
ular November election shall peti-
ton the Governor to issue writ fol
such special election.
The original bill provides that the
qua Iification of voters at any election
held under this act shall be such as
are prescribed by voters for the gen
'cral law. An amendment added by
the committee makes an important
qualification in this language:
"Provided however, that only sucf
nersons as are July qualified voter:
at the time of the approval of this
act AM such persons as shall become
Of lawful age after the said date anc
shall thereafter register by reason OF
80 becoming of lawful age PRIOR t'
the date herein fixed for holding th'
said election, shall be eligible to Vote
at said election"
The insertion of this provlso was
defended yesterday by person opposed
70 the enabling act on the ground tna
Il would eliminate possible art'hc'a
initiation of the vote for the express
nnrnose of furthering the Try
aouse Unier the amendment onl!
those could vote next Jane who az
a,o1;fed 10 vote today, since the pay
ment of poll tax for participation II
any election is required to be made a
least six months before the election
in question is held. -,
To the clause in the original oll
which eyempts from the operation o
tho nrohibitive law the sale OF lntoXl
c,rts for sacramental, scientific med
iciral and mechanical purposes, al
amendment adopted by the COMMITTEE
aids:
"An6 except wine and its Dy-pro
d,.+s which may be manufacture
from grapes, berries and fruits by
nerson, firm or corporation now man
rfacturing wine in this State, provo
ed that the wine or by-products
manufactured be sold only in pacE
aoes Of not less than two and hs
gallons or one dozen bottles, and
delivered to a common carrier to
transported outside the state Oh vi
ginia.'
Still another Amendment provides
that Statewide prohibition shall NJ
roll 90 into effect until May l, 1917. II
original bill made the law etfec''>
on May | after the first regular Sc
sion.