The sun., 1917-07-31

DRY BILL WILL
WIN IN SENATE
Two-thirds Majority AS
sured for Sheppard ResO-
lutiOn-VOte Tomorrow.
so MEMBERS IN FAVOR
Amendment Will Provide for
State Ratification Within
Six Years.

WARRINGTON, July S0.-The Sheppard
resolution providing for a prohibition
amendment to the Federal Constitution
is assured of success in the Senate. The
necessary two-thirds majority has been
aligned in favor Of the measure, which
will come to a vote Wednesday at
o'clock
This prediction is based on a poll of
the Senate by THE SUN to-day. The poll
discloses that not less than sixty-two
votes will be cast in favor of the
measure and twenty-seven against it.
There are two Senators whose intentions
could not be learned. but they may cast
their votes on either side Of the ques-
ton without affecting the result. Five
members are absent on account of ILL
ness. Four Of them favor the amend
ment and one is against it.
In view of the practical certainty of
the success of the Sheppard measure the
debate in the Senate to-day was per-
functory. Senator Sheppard opened the
discussion with a statement OF his posi-
ton and that of the supporters of the
joint resolution. He was followed by
Senator Underwood. Alabama, who is
leading the opposition to its enactment.
Senator Shafroth Colorado, spoke in
favor of the amendment.
The debate will be continued to-mor-
row. with each Senator limited to an
hour On Wednesday the debate will
be limited to ten minutes for each Sena-
tor.
Ratification In Six Years.
An amendment will be offered to the
joint resolution which will provide that
unless the amendment be ratified by
three-fourths of the States within six
years from its approval it shall become
null and void. 1t is by the inclusion Of
this proviso in the measure that the
favorable votes OF number Of conser-
vative Senators have been obtained.
Without this amendment the resolu-
tions would fail without a doubt No
one understands this better than Sena-
tor Sheppard. He himself favors the
inclusion of the six year limitation. On
this subject he said to-day to THE SUN I:
II favor this for the reason that 1t Is
better to have the question settled than
for 1t to hang fire indefinitely. There
are two proposed amendments to the
Constitution of the United States.
presented for ratification by the first
Congress in 1890, upon which the vote
of the States has never vet been OBJ
tanned. Every one of the seventeen
amendments made to our Constitution
since its original draft has been ratified
within less than five years of passage
by the Congress-
A few of the radical prohibition Sem
ators will oppose the six year limitation
It will pass the Senate. however. for the
reason that the anti-prohibitionists gen.
orally are willing to vote for II.
1Fr7
How Senators stand.
The following is THE SUNS poll OF
| the Senate on the prohibition question
Ayes-Senators Ashurst, Bankhead,
| Beckham, Borah, Brady, Chamberlain.
| Cummins, Curtis. Dillingham;. Fernald,
Fletcher. Gore, Gronna, Hale, Harding,
Hollis, Johnson (California), Johnson
| (South Dakota), Jones (New Mexico)
Jones (washington). Kellogg. Kendrick.
Kenyon. King, Kirby, McCumber. Nc
Kellar, McNary Martin. Myers, Nelson.
New, Norris, Overman, Owen. Page,
Pittman. Pondexter, Ransdell, Robin
son, Salisbury, Shafroth. Sheppard,
| Sherman. Shields Simmons, Smith (Geor-
gia), Smith (Michigan), Smith (South
Carolina), Smopt Sterling, Stone, Suth-
| erland, swanson, thompson, IoWnseno,
Trammell, Vardaman. Walsh, Watson
| Williams and Wolcott-62.
| Noes-Brandegee Broussard, Calder
Colt, Culberson, France. Frelinghuysen.
Gerry, Hardwick, Hitchcock, Husting
James, Knox, La Toilette, Lewis, Lodge
Mclean, Penrose, Phelan, Pomerene
Reed, Smith CArizona). Smith MARY
land), Underwood, Wadsworth, Warren
and Weeks-27.
Doubtful-Newlands and Tillman-2.
Absent-Goff, Hughes. Thomas, Fall
| Gallinger--5.
Doubtful-Newlands probably NO"
TillmaI, probably AYE"
Absent-Of the Ave absentees Senator
Hughes New Jersey would vote no
The others have sought to be paired as
| favoring the amendment.
The constant activity of the liquor in
terests is a peril to free institutions
Senator Sheppard told the Senate in thu
debate, while alcoholic liquor itself is g
menace to the nations wealth. moral!
and efficiency. Organized labor. he said
has been asked to oppose prohibition
because bartenders and brewery and dis
tlllery employees are members of unions