The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1915-09-17
The Trail of the Serpent
Concluded from last week.

ot the vote the White Slave injunction bill already
referred to- and the liquor lobby prevented coming
to life again There this bill but no official
record of is preserved reliable private records
show that SO which AZ were
dry, and only The legislator who had the
hardwood openly TO against saloon
member. Moreover the had not been interrupted
second had been prevented the bill would
have passed and the Senate undoubtedly
cured Thus it that commerciazed prostitution went
further in debt to United Alcohol
Illinois is living under the constitution of 1870 Only
five general amendments have been added in A years. only
one in the last % Owing unusual restrictions with
respect to amendments each session the
semby which alone has the propose amendments
conflict rival has resulted in deadlock
The conditions have given rise everncreasing de-
mand for convention to frame a instrument. Unse-
ish citizens have been divided the question: the most
progressive thought however, being in its favor Not only
is it matter of paramount importance but large majority
OF upto-date thinkers favor convention On this question:
out OF IS in the affirmative the dry 81 and the
wet 81 On the other hand of SO in the negative
five dry votes recorded, while the reached
total of 49,
Perhaps the picturesque of popular endeav
in Illinois has been the effort amend the constitution
to provide for the initiative and referendum The campaign
has been waged with vigor and might be claimed
valor Under the public policy the people have twice
spoken in commanding In 1902 the was 160O2
for to 24535 against in 1910 1894 for to 543S
against combined the figures would 31276 against
1928. For long time this reform has been the cardinal
tenet in the state Democratic faith and the campaign
largely fought upon the promise of this reform The
party having carried the state by overwhelming majority
the Senate bowling to DEL duly adopted joint resou-
ton embodying the principle When it vote of
concurrence by the House, political and other lines were
somewhat broken up Notwithstanding the fact that the
saloon vote was largely Democratic and the antsaoon
largely Republican and Progressive more dry than wet
recorded for this measure and the mega
tive vote made of % and only IA the
significant fact that the resolution o5
only seven short of the twohds and were
who ed tho
have passed it if they had respected their party pledge
so speaks the classic record But there story
merely limited at the official record described as zone of
the most nerveacing in the history of Illinois legislation
"a former vote the measure early in the morning hours
after the members had been whipped line after every
party expeden had been exhausted atom
the Governors influence had been used the neces
ary twothrds were obtaned-when the II years and
OF unremng warfare had brought peoples power back
to the people! Then it was that lone Judas arose.
nouncing that while recorded voting Yes the measure
he desired to vote No Further consideration was imme
diatey postponed in white heat and umu the member
has been branded as traitor since He was wet