American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-11-30

into believing that two-thirds of the
senate or two-thirds the membership
OF the house believe In prohibition
but with records of the past before
him, he feels confident that not one
third the membership Of either body
will have the nerve TO go on record
al opposing the national prohibition
amendment.
In Danger in Cemmjttee.
The fight for the prohibition
amendment-the real fights going
to be to bring the issue to a vote. and
the surest way OF preventing a vote
is by suppressing the resolution in
the judiciary committee, where dozens
Of such resolutions now lie buried
Senator Borah is a member of the
judiciary committee OF the senate, and
in the recent session, as in the pre-
ceding congress, he voted to report
the resolution to the senate, but both
times the opposition was strong
enough to prevent favorable action.
If the committee refuses to reopen
the question during the short session,
il is quite within the power of a SEN
ator to move to discharge the COM
mittee, and IL that motion can be once
submitted, the opponents of prohibit
ton will be put to their wits end to
stave off a vote on the motion to dis
charge. That motion, like any other,
can be debated indefinitely in the SEN
ate; ii can be made the subject OF a
filibuster, but at the same time, a mo-
ton to discharge the committee would
force the fight into the open, and
those who made the fight against
favorable action would do SO in full
daylight. "a
Whether IL is the purpose of SEN
ator Borah to go to this extreme, or
whether he will confine his efforts to
getting a favorable report from the
committee, he does not say; much will
depend upon Developments. And the
caps under which he must work dur
ing the short session.
But while this contest is being
waged In the judiciary committee or
on the floor of the senate, Senator
Jones OF Washington will renew his
fight to get action or the bill propos-
ing to make the District of Columbia
dry. 1t is wholly within the province
of congress to make the district dry,
or to allow IL to remain wet. The
people residing in the District of CO.
lumbia have nothing to say about the
matter as congress makes all their
laws. and makes many Of them with
! out consulting those most affected.
At the last session, the committee
On District OF Columbia reported ia
vorably the Sheppard bill which seeks
to make the district dry, and that bill
Is now on the senate calendar, having
been carried over from the last ses-
sion. II can therefore be taken up at
any time a majority of the senate
gives its consent, and because OF the
advantageous position OF this measure,
II is expected that the first effective
fight will be that on the bill to make
the national capital dry"
Needs Only Majority.
II may be that by Legislative trick
cry in one house of congress-, or in
both. that the prohibition question
may be shelved during the short ses-
sion, but II will not be shelved until
after Senators Jones and Borah have
made the best fight Of which they are
capable, and IL ~sidetracked, it, will be
by indirect, rather than by direct
means. The Jones-Sheppard bill. diff
fering from the resolution for which
Senator Borah intends to tight, can be