The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1917-04-20
PROHIBITION LEGISLATION IN new HAMPSHIRE
By ]. H. Robbins. Superintendent

The story of the Prohibition bill
in the New Hampshire Legislature
can never be fully told. Only those
who know something of the inside
efforts of the brewers with some oil
the Senators can have any concep.
ton of what the whole story might
be.
Important Delays Were Manipulated
The chairman. of the Senate com.
mittee was called out of the state or
important business, taking the bill
with him, which absence caused near
ly week of delay. During this
weekend delay another Senator was
called out of the state on important
business. Indirect propositions oil
tremendous importance were made
through other business interests.
The brewery and saloon interests
were indeed desperate, after they dis
covered that a straight majority OF
the whole House of 403 members was
in favor of the bill, and that some
who voted against the bill were at
heart in favor of it. They, therefore,
resorted to every possible, and I'M
possible, method to hold the Senate
They, however, threw up their
hands in defeat before the bill came
from the committee to the floor OF
the Senate, April II. The majority
three-of the committee brought In
report that the bill ought to pass
without amendments. A minority
one-reported "the bill ought to pass
with amendments" offering several
amendments. The. chairman of the
committee refused to sign either re-
port.
1t was interesting, to say the least,
to hear the Senator who was under
stood to represent the liquor inter-
ests pleading for amendments to
make the Prohibition stronger.
The amendments were voted down
IA to 9 Zone Senator was sick and
absent), the president of the Senate
voting for the bill. 1t is stated that
at least one of the Senators did not
decide until one of the doubtful Sem
ators ahead of him voted for the bill.
He then followed, voting on the win
ming side.
After the amendments we're voted
down there was no opposition to the
final passage of the bill.
The object of the amendments was
to send the bill back to the House
where it was sure to be killed by de-
lay tactics of few days, at the very
last of the session.
The friends of the bill in the SEN
ate did splendid team work, led by
the president, and stood together
against all amendments and delay
tactics.
In the House the real issue was
fought out March 81 in four hours
debate and vote of 1872 to 172, with
81 pairs, making 203 to 1873, 16 men,
bers and the Speaker not voting.
When the bill came back from the
committee on appropriations, March
20, the vote on a motion to "indef-
nitely postpone" was defeated by
only five votes, 100 to 1875.
Many interesting interviews were
held during that interval Of one
week Many statements were made
by members, apparently i'll good faith,
of fabulous offers of hundreds of
thousands of dollars for change of
vote or to be absent.
The lobby of liquor interests, poll
ticians, hotel interests, cigar manu-
facturers, organized labor, wire pull
ing and spellbinders was such as Is
seldom seen. 1t seems incredible that
it could be done. Everybody said at
the beginning of the fight that 1t was
not possible. The liquor interests
considered It good Joke.
The secretary of the liquor dealers
association publicly stated that no in
terests Of New Hampshire and no
persons wanted Prohibition except
the "commercialized Anti-Saloon
League" He said every paper in the
state, except three we're opposed to
Prohibition, and that the Governor,
every Ex-Governor and all the polit-
ical leaders of both parties were op-
posed to the bill; and he was nearer
the truth than his statements gen.
orally were.
How Was It Done1
Immediately after the defeat In
1915 the Anti-Saloon Leagly made
plans to win in 1917. The bill was
carefully prepared then, the political
situation considered, some of the
leaders selected for the primaries and
election.
The agitation in all Anti-Saloon
League meetings was directed to this
end; an average of 10000 copies OF