Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-01-23
Both Houses Pass "Bone Dry" Bills With Little
 Opposition.
CALDWELL ONE OF
 FOUR VOTING NAY
Jefferson Senator, Who Is TeetOtaler, Opposes Measure on Ground That N CurtaiIS Constitutional
 Rights oi Individuals.

Little Rock, Jan. 22.-With only four dissenting votes, the senate Mon day morning passed the Greenhouse Ponder "bone dry prohibition bill, after a debate which was hardly q debate, it being so overwhelmingly one sided
 Senator Caldwell Of Jefferson coun- ty was the only one to make a real argument against the measure, though Senator Johnston of Scott briefly stated that he had been over 22 states recently and found in them that sudh a statute was a failure He advocat- ed the adoption of a bill regulating the introduction of liquors. as reve. nue measure, and stated it had the backing of the administration.
 Senator Caldwell declared that while he never touched liquor, and was bitterly opposed to the open sa- loon, he was against the bill as it curtailed the constitutional rights of individuals. He declared that he thought the bill was rash and that it would soon be reGpgnized as a mis- take. Senator Caldwell stated that the legislature had no more right to tell man that he could not take a drink than that he could not take chew of tobacco, and he did not want to take away the drink from the man who took it in moderation He stated he did not agree with the man who thought he had to have drink, but all people are entitled to do their own thinking. Senator Caldwell de- clared that he was against the boot legger and blind tiger, and would vote for any law that would put them outf Of business, but he thought it cold De best done by regulating the quanti- ty any person could introduce. He favored making it so hard to get a drink that liquor would be worth s1 a drop"
 Senator Ponder made an impas- stoned speech which was loudly ap- plauded by the galleries, which were filled with women. who had probably been given advance information that the bill was to be considered.
 While Senator Ponder was speak ing, Chief Clerk H. G. Combs of the house arrived with message from the house stating that the Doyle Rankin bill, similar measure, had been passed by the house. Senator Ponder continued to state the senate should not permit the house to get ahead of it in anything.
 Senators Edmondson, Owens and Rogers, who stated that heretofore they have supported measures which were for local option, they recognized by a recent vote of the people they were for prohibition, hence they would support the bill. Senator Ed- warned the authors of the bill they were making law so dras-, tic that 1t would bring about the re- peal of the existing prohibition laws in time.
 Quite bit of amusement was creat- ed just before the vote was taken by Senator Alexander asking if he would have time to send letter to Memphis and back before the bill was passed and signed by the governor.
 Vote on ''BOne Dry, Measure.
 Senator Greenhouse closed the dis cussion on the bill, speaking only briefly.
 The vote was as follows:
 Aye-Adamson, Alexander, Brown, Burgess, Bush, Cabiness, Carter, Car ruth, Duty, Edmondson Emory Gar rett Goodwin, Greenhouse, Hester, Kendall King. Owens, Ponder, Rogers. Ruff, Sims, Slaughter Smith Utley, Vann Ward, Whitaker and MT. Pres:- dent.-29.
 Nay-Caldwell, Collins. Johnston and Moncriff.-4.
 Absent and not voting-Hamilton JOnes-2.
 When the bill was first called up by Senator Greenhouse, an effort to secure delay was made by Senator Caldwell. who stated that the bill had just been delivered by the printer and the members would like to study t further. aW
 This brought the prohibition ele-