The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-11
Prohibition Question Now
Squarely Before Them and
Constituents Will Demand
Action at this Session
Both Sides Are
Pinned for Action
Clever Parliamentary Manipu.
iation Will Be Required By
Prohibition Forces to Accom-.
plish Their Object Tissue
Bugbear to Congressman
BY r. FL. MCGOWAN.

by r. Fl. MCGOWAN.
WASHINGTON. May 10--Houst
mem ber@--mapy Of them at least
are in Il blue funk and all fused uI
over what tn do with the prohibition
question. For months past II has
been evident to those who have kept
track of legislative affairs in the ma
ttonal capital that the time would
come when this issue could no longer
he lodged or sidetracked. The up
shot Of the matter is that house mem
hers~-the Democratic element~-will
caucus Tuesday night TO decide what
definite steps TO take. That this cau-
Gus will not be cut and dried affair
and that IL will not in any respect re.
semble an afternoon tea party. IS al
ready evident. The truth about the
matter IL that the prohibition men IN
congress have been laying their plans
50 well that they feel that now is the
time for action
The Live Issue.
As an evidence that the prohibition
question tn many nf the four hundred
and thirty five congressional districts
81 the country is to be live issue in
the elections Of the coming summer.
- most apparent from casual read
ing OF the Congressional Record. II
.s quite probable that not less than a
thousand petitsons-~some against pro-
htbitinn and some for it---are present
ed each day, Members are being
urged either ny the saloon forces or
the anit-saioon people to become &C
tive and to secure pledges of their col
leagues to sustain either one side or
the other when the matter comes 10
an issue
Petitions are coming in from South
Dakota and South Carolina, from
Maine and California. and froru vir-
s.fIE 10 the Everglades OF Florida.
These petitions are not all for proh.-
hilton nor are they all against H. Far
from IT. There are probably as many
on enc side as on the other. but the
point To be emphasized is that the
whole country seems to he aroused
over the question. and that congress
can no longer treat the matter as a
thing TO be lightly considered When
FIVE hundred or a thousand earnest
prohibition men. for instance. In n
certain district sign q petition and
send ii to representative in congress
with personal letters. asking that IT
30 taken care of. IL Is squarely UP to
the congressman to act unless ne
wishes 10 court defeat in the coming
elections,
Can't Dodge Now.
To show Just what the situation fs
II may be stated that day or two
ago two house members were seated
in one OF the restaurants at the capitol
when one OF them asked his colleague
what he meant TO do about reporting
out a prohibition bill. The reply was
made that II might he good time fer
the matter to sleep. This brought out
he very frank rejotnder that sleeping
was a thing of the past. that some
thing had to be done, that the people
Of his district demanded action on his
part The result is that a bill has
been reported 10 the house on pro-
hibtion without recommendation. that
meaning thar It Is to be put squarely
up TO the Democratic caucus To deter
mine what shall be done with the
question.
There is just as much fight in the
saloon men~-the liquor men--in con-
gress as there is In their opponents,
and the latter. believing that the sem
timent OF the country demands ma
tionai prohibition, are primed for ac-
ton.
There are some issues In congress-
for instance. the canal tolls question
which are Of so general nature
that the people in some districts do
not hold their representatives to a
but 1t Ia Internationally different
with the prohibition question: To-
cal matter from beginning to end.
Though ii Is to become a national
issue when congress acts--it will al
ways remain a local one. also because
1t Is the individual after all who Is
affected by the sale of liquor.
Won't BE Sidctracked.
From present indications efforts
will be made to leave prohibition alone
for the present session. 1t will be
urged that with the Mexican situation
acute. with the tolls question an issue.
with the trusts and rural credits bills
to be acted upon, and with many APP
preparation bills still in the making,
that prohibition may well be shunted
over for another day. That is good
logic for the man in hole--the con-
gresham who sees defeat staring him
In the face no matter which side OF
the question he takes--hut II the anti
saloon people manage the proposition
right prohibition will not be side
tracked---no matter who may suffer at
the polls. II Is the Issue OF the day.
though shrewd manipulators may.
through well known parliamentary
tactics. postpone action until the leg
islative safety switch-the coming
elections. are over.