Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-12-18
which must be reckoned with in the next

which must be reckoned with in the nexl
election.
State delegation after State delegation
held quiet caucuses and conferences, dis.
cussing the best way Of meeting the issue
AS result Of these conferences it was
apparent that the century-old States rights
| sentiment will be responsible for the de.
feat of the Hobson amendment. There
are many members who assert that the
question is one for the States themselves
to handle, and no one State should have
the right to force another State to accept
its temperance views.
Informal conferences among the South
ern delegations, where the States right
sentiment is strongest. indicate that a
slight majority Of the Southern members
will vote against the amendment. The
Virginia delegation will cast almost solid
vote for it. Representatives Hollond, Hay
Flood, Watson, Slemp and Glass announcing
| that they were in favor of the Hobson pro-
posal. Representative Montague was not
prepared to state his position. Represen-
tative Saunders is understood to favor the
resolution, while Representative Jones was
not in Washington. Representative Carlin
was regarded as one of the wet" leaders
in the House last summer before Virginia
voted dry" and his position is not now
known.
West Virginia will probably line up SOL
idly for prohibition. 1t is a dry" State
under State law. Representatives Nicely
Moss and Hughes announced they would
vote for both the prohibition and woman
suffrage amendments. The views of the
other members were not announced, but
they are inclined to vote dry"
Informal conferences of the Texas, Lou
isiana. Mississippi and Alabama delega-
tons revealed almost solid vote against
both propositions. There is only one vote
in the Texas delegation that is uncertain,
and it may eventually line up against the
"drys" The Louisiana and Mississippi
delegations are said to be solid against it.
Under the leadership Of Majority Leader
Underwood. the Alabama delegation will
cast its full vote against it, except that of
Representative Hobson. The Georgia dele
Cation is noncommittal.
The North Carolina, South Carolina, Ar
kansas and Oklahoma delegations, on the
other hand. are inclined to vote solidly
dry" In the Middle West, the Indiana
delegation will vote solidly wet" The
"drys" will get one or two votes in Wiscon-
sin. probably one in Michigan, about two
in Iowa, while Illinois is noncommittal,
with indications Of majority against the
amendment. The Missouri delegation, it
is stated, will give three votes against it
and the rest will favor the amendment.
In the New England and the Eastern
States, the "wets" are predicting a MAORI
ty, although it will not be as large as at
first expected.
Summed up. the States rights and nom
committal members are expected to fur
nlsh the votes which will defeat the pro-
hibition amendment. Several of the Vir-
ginia members took exception to the Mary
land mail-Order houses shipping liquor into
the dry" sections of that State in viola
ton Of the expressed wishes of its voters
They contend that this action on the part
of the liquor people cuts the ground from
under some of the States right sentiment
The New York World. commenting on
the amendments, says: Two important
results will be accomplished by the action
of the House Committee on Rules in pro-
vidine for an expression OF opinion in
Congress on nationwide prohibition and
woman suffrage. A fair and square vote
will thus be had upon issues which no
honest man need fear to meet. and the
country will soon know if Democrats have
become our chief centralizers.
I'VE have been going rapidly of late to-
ward consolidation of government at
Washington which, after a few more ad-
vances, can be made fairly accurate imi-
tation of the ruling power at Petrograd
With woman suffrage and prohibition
effected by constitutional amendment,
thereby enforcing these ideas on Com
monwealths fiercely opposed to them. we
shall be well on the way toward the
abolition of the free American State"