The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-31
ARGUE BOOZE BILL
Rights of Thirsty Hanging in Balance
in Legislature Today.

Rights of the thirsty are hanging in
the balance today while the Kansas
house considers proposed bone dry
bills before the state legislature. All
liquor bills the house calendar
come before the lower branch of the
legislature today under a special or
der.
If the house adopt bill which orig
mated in it's own temperance commit
tee Kansans will be denied the right
to ship liquor into this state for other
than sacramental purposes. The bur
den is placed on the railroads and the
place of delivery is made the place of
sale. In writing the committee bill,
members embodied the main features
of the Stone bill which was smothered
trcduced in the 1917 session, follow
ing action of the United States su
prone court on the Webb-kenyon act.
vote as You Drink
Ben Endres of Leavenworth fought
to remove Section l in its entirety.
His fight was in advance of the Har-
vey substitute and was voted down by
plause from the lobbies-members
joining.
E,ndres appealed to the members to
vote a S they drank.
"A prominent temperance advocate
two years ago told me if tho memb RS
they drank, the bill wouldn't have IL
chance" said Endres. Il don't be-
lieve in drunkenness or intemperance,
but every man should have the right
to possess his own bottle of liquor il
he wants ii. Don't you know that un-
der the provisions of this bill. which
permits druggist t. have five gal
Ions of alcohol in his possession. that
fifteen or twenty gallons of mighty
good whisky can be made from it?''
Talked TO Lobby.
That let down the bars to oratory.
Members on both sides of the house
clamored for an opportunity to talk.
Party lines were wiped away and for
fifteen minutes the members-with
one eye trained on the women's lobby
argued for most strict and rigid
temperance. Then the Endres mo-
ton went down under an overwhelm-
ing vote.
Harvey of Clark county started the
! trouble all over again. He offered the
substitute section which permitted an
individual to keep a private stock for
his own use. The substitute did not
remove the provision prohibiting
common carriers bringing liquor into
the state. 1t merely said that a per-
son might keep a supply on hand in
his own home for his own use.
Robert Stone of Shawnee county
defended the substitute. He declared
the substitute was written in con-
formity with the decision in the
Webb-Kenyon case and that a Law
with the personal possession provision
would stand the test of the courts
I The question of personal liberty wa.
also argued by Stone in urging the
adoption of the substitute. He de-
| clared that under the bill a submitted
by the house temperance committee
serious doubt existed as to the con
/ stitutionality of the measure. In any
| event it would involve the state il
| long drawn out and expensive litiga-
| ton. Stone was author of the bill
making the place of delivery the place
! of sale. He advocated a strong anti
{ liquor measure. but declared the stats
might destroy its own purpose bl
overstepping the constitution.
/ For Own Use.
AS he took his seat Stone was be
sieged with questions He answered
all of them.
4 would this permit me to go I,
4 Continued on Page Two)