The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-12-23
PROHIBITION LOST
! after EXCITING
FIGHT IN HOUSE
hohson Amendment Beaten By
Vote of 1877 to 1873
TMD.rHIaDs VOTE REQu IREU
Decision by House pfeeludes Action
by Senate During Present
Session.

Washington, Dec. 23.-The Hobson
resolution to submit a constitutional
amendment for national prohibition
to the state Legislatures was defeat
ed in the House last night. 1877 mem
bers voting for and 1879 against it. An
affirmative Vote OF two thirds was re-
quired to adopt the resolution.
Prohibition leaders declared that
the majority for the resolution had
fulfilled their expectations, as they
had not hoped for two-thirds vote at
this time Whether similar resolu-
ton pending in the Senate, submitted
by Senator Sheppard of Texas would
reach vote in the Senate at this
session was not certain last night.
ADMINISTRATION leaders were inclined
to believe, however, that it would not
in view of the action of the House.
Notwithstanding repeated public
assertions that many members of the
House would try to lodge record
vote on the issue, the roll-call dis
closed heavy attendance, larger
than the average throughout the SEES
sion. On the final ballots 3S6 votes
were recorded. To have carried the
resolution would have required 25S
affirmative votes, It thus failed by
81 votes.
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 feso-
luton. And when the vote came, of
the 1877 standing for the resolution.
ia were democrats. 6S were republi-
rams and IL were progressiyes and
four we're independent republicans.
AS a vote was ordered on the reso-
luton Representative Hobson made a
final dramatic move. "Mr. Speaker,
he said, 81 wish to ask whether any
member of this House who has fl
nancial interest in the question now
pending. who owns stock in distiller
les or breweries, who owns saloon
or who has property leased to liquor
interests, can under the rules vote on
this question"
The speaker explained that the pre-
cedents held that IL member was
affected as one of a class, the rule
would not prevent his voting, but
that such questions were usually left
to the member himself.
Representative Ba.tholdt of Mis-
souri, defended the saloon as an in
stitution. Liquor is charged with all
the ills TO which humanity is heir"
he said. The charge is not true"
He presented, figures and authorities
designed TO show that other causes
were to blame for large share of
poverty and crime.
Representative Gallivan OF Massa
chusetts declared that wherever pro
hibition obtained, IL had multiplied
insanity by driving men and women
from drink to drugs.
: Representative yollmer of Iowa de
ciared the prohibition movement was
. "wave of hysteria" and that the
amendment would destroy four bill
lion dollars worth of property
''These people denounce all who make
liquor, he said, forgetting George
Washington the brewer; Thomas
jefferson the distiller; Abraham Lin
coin the barkeeper and even Jesus
Christ of nazareth who according to
my Bible turned water into wine at
wedding. And the wine was not
grape juice, for il was made TO add to
the festivity Of that occasion and
grape Juice would have given little
satisfaction to those wedding guests,
who we're used to something with a
stick in il. Grape juice never added
anything to wedding or wake
REPRESENTATIVE Morrison of Indiana
kept the House in an uproar with a
speech supporting a substitute which
he offered TO the Hobson resolution
TO prohibit the shipment of liquor in
To any state, They'll tell you that
everybody who opposes the Hobson
resolution is bad man. and every
one who supports 1t is a good man,
said he Don't you believe it.
There are 13 men in the Indiana dele
cation who will vote against this res
olution. and can point out to YOU
one man who viii support the Hob
son resolution who drinks more
liquor in II days than those IL men
do in l. years.
Representative Hobson took the