Evening star., 1916-12-17
''DRY" D. c.
VOTE TOMORROW
Senator Sheppard Confident
Action Will Be Taken Be-
fore Day Is Over.
BILL ATTACKED SHARPLY

| \ vote in the Senate on the District
| prohibition bill eore adjournment to-
morrow was confidently predicted by
Senator Sheppard after the Senate ad-
| journed last evening.
| Consideration of the measure in the
Senate had reached the point where a
vote was about to be taken on the
Smoot substitute for the Sheppard bill.
| Senator Underwood, calling attention to
! the fact that many of the senators had
| left the chamber with the understand
| ing there would be no vote before Mon
| day, asked Senator Sheppard to lay the
| bill aside. Senator Sheppard said that
| he would not force vote at that time,
\ but added that he would move an ad-
| journment SO that the prohibition bill
would retain its place as the unfinished
| business of the Senate.
| Unless an active filibuster against the
| bill should develop tomorrow, the
chances for action the measure ap-
pear good. The first vote is expected
on the smoot substitute, which is a
more drastic measure than the Shep-
pard bill. Following that will come
| the vote on the Underwood referendum
amendment. to which Senator Kern has
! offered an amendment permitting the
| women of the District to vote as well
as the men.
Senator MARITIME Attacks Bill.
The Sheppard bill was the subject of
vigorous attacks yesterday afternoon
by Senator MARITIME and Senator Reed
| The dry bill was in danger of being
| s1detracked temporarily when at 2
O'Clock the volunteer officers pension
Dill came up automatically as the un-
; finished business of the Senate having
displaced the Sheppard bill Friday aft
ernoon. when Senator Sheppard asked
| to have that bilr laid aside tempo
| rariIy.
By vote of "a to 33 motion by
Senator Sheppard to take up the dry
| bill was carried. Many of the sena-
| tors who voted against the Sheppard
| motion announced that they did SO not
| because they were opposed TO that bill,
| but because they desired to the
volunteer officers bill passed. This bill,
| championed particularly by Senator
| Townsend of Michigan, has the sup
port of practically all of the senators
| except handful from the south, who
have consistently opposed it's consid-
Grafton.
Il am unalterably opposed to both
| the Smoot and Sheppard bills" said
Senator MARITIME of New Jersey. Il
have no doubt that the committee re-
porting the Sheppard bill was prompt
ed by honest and conscientious motives,
but at the same time ] feel and know
that our asylums are filled with men
who are prompted by honest and con-
scientious convictions"
The senator's and galleries laughed at
this hit by the New Jersey senator.
He continued: IT feel that this COM
mittee, in it's zeal. is possessed of hal
lucinations that make them well nigh
mad"
Refers to Frances E. Willard.
| Senator MARITIME recalled the words of
Frances E. willard. who urged that it
| first be made easier for mankind to
| get bread and butter, and that then the
| theory Of temperance would fall on
more fertile fields.
| I'VE are legislating for humanity"
said Senator MARITIME. but humanity
| in the District of Columbia has not
| asked you for this legislation. I have
heard no cry from humanity or the
people Of the District for your drastic
un american proposition.
Experience has shown such legisla-
| tion to be failure Alcoholic liquors
| have been used by the human race
since the days of Adam, and l believe
| the end of time. You cannot make men
over in day, nor change the tastes
and appetites of people by law. Your
measure will tend to make liars and
/ hypocrites of men"
| Senator MARITIME quoted Arthur Brisbane
to the effect that there is more drunken
ness in Maine with its prohibition law
and 100000 population than in Italy
with its more than 13.000.000 population
and no prohibition law. Referring to the
| original plan to make particular exemp-
| ton of the foreign embassies and lega-
| tions here so far as the importation of
! liquor was concerned, Senator MARITIME
said that the legations would have been
the most popular irrigating points in the
District
This bill will make us ridiculous in the
| eyes of the world" he said
Senator Reed Opposes Measure.
| Senator Reed said that elnder the Shep-
pard bill a manufacturer could make
million of gallons of alcohol and export it,
/ the only Limitation being that the pur-
chaser did not intend to use 1t for bever-
age purposes. 1t could. however, be com
pounded with other ingredients and sold
as beverage, he argued. He secuted the
/ explanation that the alcohol is made in
! the District as by-product Of one es-
tablished business. He said:
why should the District be the habitat
| of an industry making this dreadful poi
| SOM He rejected the plea that il should
be maintained because it is an established
business. claiming that saloon keepers
and whsley dealers also have an estab-
1 liShed business
! II don't understand the logic which pro-
proses TO perpetuate the primal source of
| this evil and then undertakes to stop the
| evil further along" said Senator Reed
| Senator Reed also assailed the Shep-
pard bill because ii placed limit
| the amount of wine which ministers
may import for sacramentaI purposes.
II the ministers cannot be trusted he
said. then 1t was useless to enact this
prohibitory legislation.
Provision to Close Offending Clubs.
Senator Curtis offered and had ac-
cepted by Senator Smoot an amendment
| to the Smoot substitute bill which pro-
vijes that all houses. clubs etc. where
! alcoholic liquors are made or sold or