The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1915-04-23
DRY BILL IS
A DEAD ISSUE
PROHIBlTlONISTS TURN ON OWN
MEASURE AND KILL IT TO
OUTWIT THE VETS.
STRAIGHT IN COLLAPSE
Leader of Prohibition Forces Col
lapses After Crucifying Enemies
of Measure on Floor of Sen
ate-To Submit Question
to People.
BY DOUGLAS ID. MARTIN.

long sought, much discussed and high
ly debatable issue of statewide pro-
hibition has been lowered into its
grave by the present legislature.
The question of statewide prohi-
bition has been one of the leading
issues of the 1915 legislature ever
since 1t convened. A poll of the
house and senate early in the year
showed that the drys had a majority
of the votes. and that they would be
able to put through almost any bill
they chose if they chung together.
The trouble apparently has been
that they didn't cling and that hand
full of vets played ducks and brakes
with their pet projects, and by SUI
liamentary tactics drove the drys to
commit hari-kari and murder their
own measure.
Charges and Counter Charges Fill the
Air at Lansing.
The vets declare that the defeat
of the drys is due to assertions
among the ranks of the liquorless ele-
ment. They say that the Anti-Saloon
League of Michigan doesn't want
statewide campaign, never has want
ed one, and that it had members in
the legislature who sympathized with
it's stand in the matter. They say
openly that the Anti-Saloon League
doesn't want a statewide campaign
because all the salaried officers of
the league will lose their jobs the mo-
ment the entire state goes dry. This
Is not quoted as fact, it is merely
one of the statements made by the
vets, and the public is free to take
it or leave it,
Drys Accuse Vets.
The drys in turn accuse the vets
of so loading down the Straight bill
with amendments that it was worth
less, and that statewide prohibition
would have met certain defeat if the
measure had been submitted in the
shape that the senate expected to
pass the bill. The most telling of
these amendments was the one which
changed the time Of voting on the
bill from the general election in No
vember of 1916 to the spring election
of that year.
The vets proposed this amendment
and got the support of a number of
drys on the grounds that the submits
sion of the question of statewide pro-
hibition at the general election in
1916 would confuse the political is
sues, and probably bring defeat upon
the republican candidate for gov
ernor.
The drys realized full we'll the
strategical advantage of presenting
the question at a presidential cleo
ton. The full voting strength of the
state will be out at that time whereas
in the spring a much smaller number
of citizens will register their opinions
at the polls. To have a chance to
win the drys felt that the question
must come up in the fall, and when
the vets in the senate, assisted by
some of the drys, succeeded in tack
ing on the amendment referred to
Senator Straight, who led the fight
| for the drys, turned on his own bill
and beat it.
A Memorable Occasion.
The battle which decided the fate
of statewide prohibition, so far as
the present legislature is concerned,
was fought previous to the day on
which the actual vote was taken
which sent it to defeat.
Heckled, ridiculed, attacked from
all sides, Senator Henry Straight,
who had for days been struggling to
| get his measure through the senate
| in something like it's original form,
| turned at bay and faced his torment
ers. The words of one of the most
dramatic speeches ever heard from
the floor Of the senate chamber burst
from his lips in a rising torrent He
! Anx &c mia l..
and then, while trying to repeat the
prayer which he had learned at his
mothers knee, he collapsed and sank
into his seat. A moment later he
was led from the senate chamber
weeping, complete nervous wreck.
With wonderful fortitude he drove
himself back into the area a few
hours later, however, and directed
the movement by which the drys
turned the tables on their enemies,
killed the bill and left whatever
blame is attached for its death rest
ing on the shoulders of the wet mem
bers.
Fitzgibbon Starts Row.
Senator Fitzgibbon, of Port Huron,
started the trouble when he offered
an amendment which made the date
Of the vote the spring election of
1917 instead Of the fall election of
1916. A rising vote was taken and
showed 16 in favor of and Is against
Straight made a tactical blunder at
this juncture for a he called for a
record vote and demanded the yeas
and nays. Before the demand was
made the amendment lacked but one
vote. On the roll call it gained that
one and was passed, II to 10.
The senators voted as follows:
Yeas-Fitzgibbon, Gansser, Hanley,
Hilsendegen, Holman, Kelley, McPhil-
lips, Murtha, Ogg, Paul, Roberts.
Scott, Taylor, Verdier, Williams.
Wood, Walters. Nays-Barnes, Cor
liss, Covert, Damon, DeLand, Foster.
GROCER, Morford, Odell Planck Pow
ell, Smith, Straight, Trip and Wood
worth.
Then Senator Fitzgibbon offered an
other amendment giving the saloons
until May / 1918, in which to operate
in case the state voted dry. Senator