The Washington times., 1917-02-25
.ALLFACTIONS AGREE
D. G. is GOING DRY
Referendum and "Bone-Dry''
Features Are Doomed In
the House.
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(Continued from First Page.)
up there on the hill do will have to
be all right. l suppose.
The business men of Washington
will not wake up until II is too late.
People like myself can pick up and
go to other places. but the business
men who have all their money tied
up here cannot leave. / think they
will find thai property will drop Off
here from one-fourth to one-third I'M
mediately the city goes dry, and that
II will never fully recover. So far as l
know. there Is not a single vacant
store'ne to a saloon, but there VIII
be whole rows when the saloons go
out.
But whatever happens, there Is
going to be the biggest upheaval in
this city that has ever been seen.
1--WE are ready for the inevitable;
there is no doubt but that the meas
ure will pass the House without the
referendum. All right, we Will accept
it."
1t is probable that the "wets." who
are in control Of the District Committee.
will amend the Sheppard bill so that 1t
shall take effect IN 1913
Knowing that IL the Sheppard bill Is
returned to the Senate during the exist
ing legislative jam 1t will be lost. the
House "drys" do not intend to permit
any amendment whatsoever OF that
measure.
Conference As Refuge.
The special rule to be reported by the
Rules Committee provides for the offer
ing Of amendments. including the I'm
deruood referendum amendment. but the
plan is to vote down every change sug-
9ested. The Rules Committee granted
the concession Of permitting amendments
fully realizing that amendments woulo
be offered but not accepted without
strong opposition.
The prohibition bill as ii will be
reported by the District Committee
which acted only when the Rules
Committee announced its intention 10
take the Sheppard measure away
from the committee to which II had
been referred-also has provided Tor
a vote on the referendum proposition
and a bone dry" amendment. The
"wets" themselves voted in commit
tee for bone dry" provision. hoping
against hope that the House might
accept such an amendment and throw
the prohibition bill into conference.
However. the House "drys" are not
to be caught mapping. Consressmen
BarkIey, of Kentucky, and Harrison
of Mississippi. who have charge OF the
dry program, both said today that
the Sheppard bill would be passed
without any amendment and VIII not
go back to the Senate nor to confer
ence.
.PersonaI Use" Permitted.
The Sheppard bill as it will be
passed will not prohibit the personal
use" Of liquor in the District but the
sale Of liquors and the giving away
~ Iiouors will be forbidden. The
saloons will go out OF business alto-
Rether and the present Excise Board
and excise laws will come TO an end
on November l.
II Is confidently predicted that the
Sbeppard bill will pass the House oy
a vote OF three to one. Only veto
nv the President can prevent the bill
hecoming a law, according to all In
dications today. The President has
not intimated his attitude on DISTRICT
prohibition.
,rbn ..wets" have forlorn hope that
President Wilson will espouse the
cause OF home rule" to the extent
| of vetoing a bill that does n1 give a
vote here on the liquor controversy
This Is a hope rather than eonVlc-
tion. however. ~ v-,,
| Congressman Gould. of New YORK
n member of the District COMMITTEE
who is accredited with anti-prohiol.
tion tendencies. issued statemeh'
last night in explanation OF tne
amendments the committee "roIe
into the Sheppard bill.