Evening star., 1917-03-04
DRY BILL CAUSES
ROW At MEETING
Citizens Federation Delegates
in Hot Debate Over Shep- /.
pard Measure.
ADJOURNMENT ENDS TALK

Prohibition and referendum forces
staged a merry row last night at the
meeting of the Federation Of Citizens
Associations in the District building.
Personalities were indulged in both
during and after the meeting that at
times threatened possibility Of combat
not altogether of q verbal sort.
Jesse C. Suter started the trouble by
introducing a resolution giving the
federation's Endorsement to the Shep-
pard dry bill and instructing Presi-
dent Shreve Immediately to telephone
to the White House the organizations
desire that the President sign the bill.
This drew the fire of the referendum
forces. led by william NICK. Clayton.
who pointed out that the federation
already had placed itself on record a.
being in favor OF the referendum a.
well as prohibition. and that its stand
on both questions should be commune
Gated to the President.
Calls Referendum a Dagger.
Mr.. Clayton insisted that the fedora
tion would not be acting with frank
ness and would be giving the President
only half the truth IL 1t passed the
Suter resolution. s. T. Cameron re-
used as a dagger by tho liquor interests
for stabbing prohibition. and was being
80 used at the meeting.
President Shreve ruled the resolution
out of order on the ground that II in
volved new subject matter not pre-
sented in accordance with the bylaws
OF the federation. but an appeal was
taken and the chairs ruling defeated.
Mr.. Clayton then introduced a resolu-
tion, expressing the federation's regret
that Congress had passed the Sheppard
bill without the referendum. Delegate
Edward F. Colladay made an effort to
straighten out the parliamentary
tangle by offering a substitute motion.
under which the President would be in
formed that the federation had Decem-
Der 4. 1915, adopted a resolution favor
inE prohibition in the District by . vote
OF IL to s. and had At its next meeting
adopted a resolution favoring q refer
endum on the prohibition and all other
questions affecting the interests Of the
people Of the District.
Vote to Lay on Table.
Debate on the various resolutions ran
rampant until nearly IL o'clock. when
Delegate Garrett announced that he had
been informed that the President had
signed the Shepherd bill A motion
was then made that the entire matter be
laid on the table. and this carried by .
substantial majority. With the contro-
versy apparently settled. the dry" forces
suddenly reopened the question by intro
ducing an original motion commanding
Congress for passing the Sheppard bill
and commencing the President for afiix-
ing his signature to 1t.
President Shreve ruled this out of
order. but his ruling was again defeat
ed. The vote overrulfng the chair in
dicated that the "drys" might be able
to put this motion through, but Dsle-
gate Garrett once moro ended tho dis
cussion by moving that the meeting ad-
tourn. The fall of the gavel. however,
ended the discussion only in 30 far -
the formal session was concerned. ~
the delegates split up into groups after
adjournment and continued to discuss
heated stage that in severaa instances
likelihood OF settlement by the hstio
process did not appear remote.
Discussion Of the prohibition question
consumed practically the entire time Of
the meeting, only a few routine mat
ters being disposed OF. Delegate Clay
ton called attention to the fact that the
proposed establishment in Washington
of permanent state exposition build
ings would be held at Hotel Powhatan
Tuesday morning at 1890 o'clock. On
motion of Mr.. Clayton President Shreve
appointed a committee. consisting Of
Clyde D. Garrett. to interview the gov
ernors who are in the city for the
inaugural ceremonies and arrange to
escort them to the conference.