Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-03-04

J CITY MEN WILL STICK
Both Houses of: General Assembly.
Watching Each Others Moyements
ii The Contest


Annapolis, March 4 When the
General Assembly yesterday adjourn
ed for the week prohibition was still
the burning issue and apparently no
nearer settlement: than it was before
the days ard nights Of wrestling with
4 the question began. Both houses de-
clarcd a truce on it until next Tues
day at noon, when it will be the
special order.
The situation is still very uncer-
tain. There is an evident desire on
tire part Of the Senate to have the
House take some definite step, while
the House would prefer to see the
Senate lead off; in other words, each
house seems possessed OF an over
whelming inclination to pass tha
buck to the other.
The matter pending in the Senate
is the Norris amendment, which
would allow Baltimore city a separate
vote OF, prohibition. A similar amend
nnent, proposed in the House by Dele.
gate Robert f, Lee, was withdrawn
to- allow tbs Mcintosh amendment,
which is, in effect, compulsory local
option bill for each Of the wet
spots in The State, to be irst con-
sidered, and s. vote on tk.s was not
reached Friday night.
sThe Anti-saloon League forces, ae-
cording, to apparently reliable soufe:-
cs.s would be willing to give Baltl-
more a separate vote if they could be
assured that Baltimore city would
agree to have the State, vote in two
units ~ that is, Baltimore city
to vote alone and the remainder Of
the State vote as unit.
Whether the city delegation would
agree to this, and thereby leave Bal
timore county without the right to a
sparate yote;4is: problematical
Some of the "wets" will, it is un-
derstood, vote for. the, Statewide bill
unless their counties he given local
option, in the hope that the ,"wet"
vote of the, city might save them,
where as without 1T they would have
no chance.
There are several good reasons why
the anti-saloon forees might we'll
agree to the separate vote by the
i CITY. One of. the chief. of these is
the great uneasiness among the tide
water Delegates that prohibition
Would result in the leasing of all the
q oyster beds in Maryland to the high
est bidder, in order to make up the
certain deficit in the State revenues
Some of these county members are
willing enough to cut Baltimore's
income by more, than s1,ooo,ooO and
let some other Legislature take care
of the State deficit, but they do moi
face with equanimity the prospect OF
taking the financial burden on them
selves of leasing all the oyster beds
They might rs we'll face it, for under
prohibition the State will be compel
ed to tap some wholesale source o.
revenue or go. bankrupt and the oy
ster beds will be the most promising
source in sight.
Indeed, it is probable that some O
the tidewater Delegates would alread!
have decided to do justice to Balti
more, except for the really. remark
able grip which DR.. Thomas Hare
late of West Virginia and Ohio, ha
e upon them. There have been man.
indignant denials by members tha
they had "halters around their necks,
but is known that DR.. Hare has tn
written pledges Of considerab!
number of members. which are he'll
over them ike the sword of Damocles
In fact. it was stated publicly by a,
Anti-Saloon League official that
majority Of both houses had bee
pledged in advance.
The prohibition lobby here is one
the most skillfnl, most autocratic an
perhaps the largest, ever known
Annapolis. for it is-nots confined
(. = =
Annapolis but includes hundreds
persons Son an over the State. The NOR
ent that any member is even suspsc
cd Of wavssing, although he may hs'