Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-01-22
SESSION OPPOSES A
SPECIAL ELECTION
KILLS HOTEL MEMS BILI-SEN-
ATE HOLDS UP TWO CON-
FIRMATIONS.

Initiative No. 18, the hotel mems
liquor bill. will not be submitted to
the people at a special election this
year but will automatically go on the
ballot in the general election in 1916,
and the chances are that no liquor
legislation will be attempted at the
present session of the legislature.
This is the Interpretation generally
placed upon the resolution passed
almost unanimously by both houses
of the legislature Wednesday and it
was the sentiment generally expressed
on the floor of the legislature during
the debate prior to it's passage. The
resolution, however, is apparently
limited to No IS, for it reads:
Resolved. by the senate and house
of representatives of the state of
Washington, that this legislature will
not at this session consider any bill
providing for the calling of any spe-
cial election for the purpose of SUBJ
mitting initiative bill No. 18 or any
bill in connection Herewith"
Earlier One Defeated.
The passage of this resolution after
a somewhat similar but more definite
one had been proposed late last week
by Frank Reeves, Democratic floor
leader of the house, and voted down,
and the refusal of the senate to con-
firm Governor Listers appointment of
Chairman c. A. Reynolds of the pub
lie service commission and Fish Com
missioner Leslie H. Darwin, were the
big events of the second week Of the
session. All of the other appointees
were confirmed
The passage of the resolution came
as the result of caucus of the Re-
publican organization Tuesday night.
The general opinion around the cap.
itol seems to be that the move was
made to try to checkmate Governor
Lister, who it was felt was getting too
much glory out of what the organiza-
tion had already done, for with ref
erence to the one subject of liquor
legislation, Lister had not only asked
for an appropriation of $4,000 for the
enforcement of the dry law passed at
the last election, but had let it be
known he would veto any bill pro-
viding for special election this year,
while the only record the Republican
organization had was apparently that
of favoring the liquor bills.
The refusal to confirm Reynolds
appointment had also redounded more
to Listers credit than the legisla-
ture's, for not only Senator MCGUIRE,
who urged the confirmation. declared
that the railroads had too much in
fluence on this legislature, but the
governor issued the following state
ment:
Governors Statement.
IL regret exceedingly that there ap-
pears to be disposition on the part
of certain railroads to take a more
active part in legislative affairs at this
session of the legislature than has
been the case for a number of years
past. There are some indications
that this influence, to some degree at
least, might have been responsible for
the action taken by the state senate
on the confirmation of Mr.. Reynolds"
The governors statement did not "set
well' on the Republican organization;
fact is, it ranked.
The plan Of the Republican organi-
cation in the senate. after the appoint
ments had been referred to the rules
committee as they were, was to let
them rest there. Peculiarly. no
charges Of any kind were made in the
senate against the two men and no
reasons given for the organizations
action. Senator Mcclure, one OF the
prominent Democrats Of that body,
who at that time endeavored to pre-
sent resolution for complete legis-
lative investigation Of the charges
against the two men but was ruled
out of order, does not propose to let
the matter drop but will push fight
for such an investigation or for con-
firmation.
Constitutional Convention Favored.
Governor Listers urgent recon-
mendation to the legislature to take
steps looking to the calling OF con-
stitutional convention is meeting with
approval with legislators irrespective
Of party Affiliations and the recon-
mendaticn will be embodied in a
committee bill and submitted as one
Of the early features OF the session.