New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-17
B;n 10 Make District of
Columbia Dry" Set
Tor Debate
HOUSE ANTI-LIQUOR
BY MAJORITY OF 20
But t45 Would Be Needed
TO Speed Measure on
to Upper House
~ -. T-eun, Rar-.al

u,,plrr,o1. Dee Is. There are not
.hs- FOUR or Eve subjects now nm
49, discussion here which interest the
-. ,or-tr- ore o. The biggest Of
.t.,.i &. prohibition. There arc some
.~--ss.-r angles 20 a. It creates more
,...,- feelings tisn suffrage Msny a
..-5 s-irte- votes and talks dry. Many
, ,s.sl sbs.aincr declines TO vote for
r4oAib.to7
n ,'res5, rs. been demonstrated -
a.. ~, vote I'm The Robson amendment
,o,s .hst q majority Of the House
- p.e-esertstvcs favors the submits
10, 90 tsc for'y-cirht states Of the
--.,,,sl chat complete prohibition Of
-. -,-ufs-turc, sale and use Of sleo-
l.V, LIQUOR be put into the Constitu-
-, within few days It Will be pos
-. bv means Of The rolleall on the
Am 2, make TIE District Of Columbia
3-v % know accurately how the mem
her. o. he United States Senate stand
pvs margin Of one vote the Shep-
,,,8 bill 70 prohibit tho manufacture
.,5 a.. Of intoxicating liquors IN the
District Of Columbis was put into frs.
,l.ss or the Senate calendar to-day, 20
!. ,sks- on next week and debated nm
trnis disposed OF or replaced by az
s-rs.ive action. Senator Townsend, OF
u.hirs-. sought 10 keep the volunteer
,a,e--' retirement bill before the Sen
~. ss unsushed business, but mo-
~, TO substitute the Sheppard biz
prevailed 81 to So.
Secs House Majority Of 20
wbe- tt, House voted on The Hob
-, amendment no one expected that
he required two-thirds majority would
,. obtained. but q great many mem
b.-,of Congress were snazed and pain
,gnv shocked when the clerk announced
, majority Of eight in favor OF the
t-sndmeut. This year, when the voJ0
comes Oh the same proposition again -
a cone 10 must. for the Judiciary Com,
rittee already has favorably reporiee,G,
-, prohibition amendment there VIII
hsma}ority Of al least twenty
This is not mere speculation, nor is II
ne euess Of the lobbyists OF the anti
alo6r League. l. is the opinion OF ne
be-; informed observers who arc, d,
,,v.hirg. opposed 90 prohibition, and
. :. ~ deliberate judgment OF the
No. vtips whose business 10 is 10
LOW within A few votes how the House
v,u divide on important questions II
srvthing. the majority ln the mouse
,.r he more than twenty. OF course, q
majority o. twenty is SO useless as
ayl- on the matter o. referring 20
10 states q proposal 70 amend the Con
s.i.ption. Tie House has membersh
o. ass. A majority Of l45 would DE
necessary % speed prohibition 20 the
senate Il the Senate passed IL by
tvo.;bir6s majority then th'rty-siN OF
the fo-tv.eicht states would have 90 APP
prove before the prohibition amend
ment became part Of the Constitution
ltt EASY 90 count thirteen states now
which would refuse 90 become dry.
Half the States Now Dry
National prohibition remains then an
abstract proposition for at least tour
years, and possibly ten or twenty. bui
come Of the most conservative members
o. the Senate and the House believe Il
nay come forward with a rush. HAN
the states Of the Union already are dry
Zach succeeding Congress contains a
greater number Of members who vote
ory from conviction or who fear 20 vote
vet because o. the effect 10 may have
On constituents. Assuming that the
prohibition amendment some day Will
be submitted 20 the states. and assum-