Evening star., 1916-12-20
SENATE MAY VOTE
ON DRY BILL TODAY
Fi|ibuster by Opponents Of D.
c. Prohibition Possibly
Would Prevent Ballot.
REFERENDUM STILL ISSUE

When the Senate met today it was
| with the expectation that the District
prohibition bill would occupy practical
| ly the entire session and that vote
| would be reached on the measure be-
fore adjournment, unless a filibuster
was begun by opponents of the bill.
Senator Underwood of Alabama, whose
referendum amendment was defeated
in committee of the whole yesterday
afternoon by a tie vote of 80 to 3S, was
ready today to ask for another vote
on the amendment when the bill goes
into the Senate. He said he believes
he had n majority In favor Of the
amendment, and intimated that the
supporters of the referendum amend
ment would permit vote If all of
those in favor of the amendment put
in an appearance.
The opponents of the referendum
amendment. while hopeful of obtaining
the final vote on the bill, recognize that
II Senator Underwood and other sup
porters of the referendum should un-
dertake to prevent a vote today they
could do so in all probability. Senator
Sheppard, in charge Of the bill, ex-
pressed the hope that 1t would be pos
siple to reach a final vote today, and
said he would do all in his power to
bring that about.
Senator Martin of Virginia, chairman
Of the appropriation committee. called
up an emergency APPROPRIATION bill to
provide money to pay the dependent
families of national guardsmen now
on the border, in accordance with the
act of Congress authorizing the Secre-
tary of War to pay the dependents not
in excess of $50 a month. 1t led to
a debate, and Senator Underwood ad-
dressed the Senate at some length on
the bill and the National Guard.
At o'clock the District prohibition
bill automatically came up for con-
of the Senate.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts OBJ
tanned unanimous consent to pass a reso-
luton filling the vacancy in the board
Of regents in the Smithsonian Institution
caused by the resignation of Andrew D.
White of New York by the appointment
Of Henry White Of Maryland
Senator Ashurst, chairman of the Indian
committee, then sought unanimous con-
sent for the passage of a resolution con-
corning certain products of the Choc-
taw Indians.
FiHbuster Suspected.
Senator Reed Of Missouri. who is op-
posed to the prohibition bill. imme-
diately began q series OF questions which
inclined the supporters Of the prohibition
bill to believe that he intended to use
the resolution as a vehicle for a filibus--
ter against the prohibition bill.
Sen&for Ashufst, who Is in favor OF
the prohibition bill. asked leave to with
draw his resolution. as he did not wish
to impede the progress of the unfinished
business. To this Senator Reed and
Senator Underwood objected
Senator Salisbury, the president pro
tenn, announced his intention of submit
ting the question to the Senate. Senator
Hughes Of New Jersey made a point Of
no quorum.
Senators Withhold Speeches.
The way was cleared for a vote on
the Underwood referendum amend
ment late yesterday afternoon. when
Senator Borah, Senator Hoke Smith
and others agreed to withhold speeches
they Intended to make on the proposed
referendum and the bill. provided
vote could be had at once 1t was the
after voting on the Underwood amend
ment the Senate would proceed to vote
on the passage of the bill.
The latter action wag prevented,
however. when Senator Underwood an
nounced that In view of the fact that
his amendment had been defeated by a
tie vote, 3s to 3s. and there had been
no affirmative action by the Senate, he
would seek another vote on It when
the bill went from the committee of
the whole into the Senate, and asked
that a time be set for voting today.
Prohibition senators. however, OBJ
jected to having the vote go over until
today, and Senator Underwood and Sen
ator Reed started hiibuster 10 pre-
vent a vote on the bill before the close
Of the daily session. Finally an ad-
journment was taken without any time
being fixed for a vote
Vote on Underwood Amendment.
The vote on tho Underwood referen-
dunn amendment was as follows:
Yeas-Bankhead, Erandegee. Bryan,
Catron, Clark, Colt, Culberson. Dilling-
ham. du Pont, Harding. Hardwick.
Hitchcock, Hollis. Hughes. James.
Johnson Maine: Kern, La Toilette. Lee.
Maryland; MARITIME. New Jersey; New
lands, Oliver. Page. Penrose. Pittman.
Pomerene, Reed, salisbury. Smith,
Arizona; Smith. Maryland: Stone,
Sutherland Tillman, Underwood, Wads-
worth. Warren. Watson and Williams.
Nays-Ashurst, Beckham, Borah,
Brady, Chamberlain, Clapp. Cummins,
Curtis, Fernaid, Fletcher. Gore. Gronna.
Husting. Johnson. South Dakota; Jones.
Kenyon. Kirby. Lane. McCumber Mar
tin, Virginia; Nelson. Norris. Overman.
! pheian, Poindexter. Sheppard, Sherman.
Shields, Smith, Georgia: Smoot, Ster-
! ling Swanson, Thomas. Thompson,
| Townsend. Vardaman, Walsh and
Works.
! Before taking a vote On the referen-
| dunn amendment itself. IL number of
amendments to it were adopted. includ-
| ing one TO permit the women to vote
! as weR as the men. and another by the
same senator providing an educational
qualification for voting and making 1t
impossible for taxpayers to vote if they
were delinquent in their taxes.
! An amendment offered by Senator
! Thompson Of Kansas providing that
endum was taken, was adopted also.
| Senator Jones OF Washington had an
amendment adopted permitting the resi-
| dents OF Washington, who kept a vot-
ing residence in the states. to vote on
this referendum as well the bona fide
| residents of the District of Columbia.
| They must have resided here for a year.
however.
The woman suffrage was adopted by a
| vote Of "a to is, the proposed educa-
tional qualification amendment by a vote
| Of "A to rs.
Agreement Is Blocked.
| Senator Underwood when he sought
| to have the vote on the bill and further
amendments go over until today. asked
unanimous consent that an hour be fixed
for voting today on the bill and all
amendments, 2 o'clock or : o'clock Sem
ator Pojndexter of Washington, a friend
OF the bill. blocked this agreement.
| He wished to keen the Senate In ses-
| sion and force u vote last evening. A
motion to go into executive session was
defeated by the friends of the bill, and