The Washington herald., 1916-12-21
DRY BILL SIDETRACKED
Until JANUARY ninth
Sheppard Measure Shunted Further
Away by Action of Senate.

The Sheppard prohibition bill. including
the Underwood referendum, and the suf-
frage, race. and Eteracy questions. after
occupying the attention of the Senate
for days has been shunted further away
and will be settled on January ..
This agreement was reached In the
Senate yesterday when Senator Sheppard
recognized that a filibuster against his
bill would carry the bill over the holi-
days In any event. The ant-dry votes
in the Senate were unwilling for a vote
until a greater number Of Senators Is
present, and they made no concealment
Of their intentions to delay a vote until
they got them.
Senator Underwood, Of Alabama, whose
amendment will submit the prohibition
question to a local option election IN the
District of Columbia, and Senator Reed,
of. Missouri, who Is against the Sheppard
bill, forced the Texas Senator to yield
the advantage he gained when the I'm
derwood amendment failed by q tie vote
of IS to IS on Tuesday.
The two Senators, who by the way are
veterans in politics and who were guided
by Mr.. Underwood, a master in parlia-
mentary strategy, did not have much OF
q struggle to win their point. They were
prepared to talk and talk ad lib, as were
do so.
Senator Ashurst, a rampant advocate
of dry legislation. helped them out Of the
hole. He did not mean to do II, and his
action could be colloquially described as
"spilling the beans"
Discusses Chocktaw Indians.
The Senator innocently called up a lit
tie resolution affecting the destinies of
the Chocktaw Indians in Oklahoma.
When Senator Gronna told him that he
had automatically displaced the prohibi-
ton bill by asking unanimous consent to
consider the Indian measure, all was
confusion as the young reporter would
phrase it.
Mr.. Reed suddenly displayed a keen in
terest in the Chocktaw Indians and
started 10 discuss their tribal habits.
necessities. and hopes. Mr.. Ashurst
hastened TO withdraw his resolution, but
both Mr.. Underwood and Mr.. Reed OBJ
JcCted.
Mr. Ashurst, unabashed. walked to the
clerks desk and got his resolution. This
caused a parliamentary wrangle as to
whether he had n right to do so. In the
meantime Mr.. Sheppard moved to take
Up the prohibition bill and Senator Sauls-
bury. in the chair. entertained the mo-
tiun. calling forth more debate.
Some of the debate enlivened the pro-
ceCdn=s. For instance. Mr.. Gallinger
slo!Gyd Mr. Reed for insinuating that
SIr. Ashurst had ''purloined' his measure
from the clerks desk. Whereupon Sena-
tor Ashurst arose and alleged that ne
could take care Of himself.
The Senator from Missouri Is not very
cree I've saId. His feroCity is only
,euI. He dearly loves a joke on the
"i''r fellow. but when it is on him, he
VIZ he's ike a rat hot griddIe.
- am in favor of this prohibition bill.
n"d not intended to say 4 word about
j. IN This debate. But now that | am
- into it. ! wish TO say to the S-na-
'r nom Missouri that the people who
That the saloon has been killed are
- tak"0. 1t has not been killed.
HAS Committed Suicide"
1t ha.. committed suicide by the petty
i.''iios that are being pursued by the
s"Iat,r from Missouri. The whole his
terry Of tine saloon in politics has been
lint il has sOwed its slime and cOrrup-
on wherever it appeared. and l do not
iT"pOse that any agency of mine shall
rpcCe n" progress Of this prohibition
III on teChnicality.
Il shall return my resolution to the
Clerks desk gladly and end this discus
sion for the Senator from Missouri. And
N the meantime" he shouted, the In
di"rs rruy suffer but whiSkey shall DOM
.n'te the capital OF the nation
Senator Underwood succeeded Mr.. Reed
'n the floor. He spoke slowly and de-
Hheratrly painting a picture of happy
homes. cOntented families. loving moth
er~. and vOicing thoughts inspired by the
hep" Of a Eutopia. likewise a millennium
When he had mounted to the dizziest
" dizzy heights OF oratory and appeared
dangerously close to bringingoout the old
haG. an agreement to vote on January
at ! o'clock was negotiated and quickly
ratified in the Senate
Then senator Stone moved an executive
session. which was held shortly before
adjournment.