The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-11
Vets Only Show Ia to Keep
Measure From Coming to
Vote In Lower Body
PROSPECTS PLEASE
FOR NATIONWIDE
Senator Sheppard Declares He
Is Confident Measure Viii
Pass the House By Sc {
Majority

Washington, .. c.. Jan. lot Ia
freely predicted in the House OF
Representatives by Republicans and
Democrats alike that the Sheppard
bill will pass through the lower body
by as large majority as 1t did III
the Senate. There is no attempt 10
modify or soften this prediction.
which is harsh one from the stand
point of the vets" A canvass OF
nearly forty members OF the House
today produced bundle OF straws.
all blowing dry" by two-to-one
vote.
Men who expect to vote against the
Sheppard bill, who are wet at heart
and from wet districts, and thus are
open and above suspicion in their wet
tendencies, whose political fortunes
depend on their being wet said today.
mournfully: We'll, l hate TO say it.
but If ever the Sheppard bill gets up
in the House, 1t will go through a-kit-
ing with scores of votes to spare"
But One Chance for "Wets.''
All this is no news in Congress.
The Sheppard blu probably will pass
the House III 1t gets up on the floor"
Consequently the enemies of the bill
see but one chance of defeating 1t.
and that, of course, is to prevent it
from reaching the House Moor Lead
ers OF the House say in reference to
this that the cards are stacked for
the Sheppard bill. and the prepon-
derance OF influence in the House is
on the side of the dry proposition.
There will be little. II any. chance to
crowd the House program with iegis-
lation that will obStruct the Shep-
pard bill
1t is known that Majority Leader
Kitchin has thrown his weight with
the dry element. Once the bill gets
into the House, and Just at present
the bill seems to have enough Inomer-s
tum from the boost IL received in tina
Senate to run it through the House
without a struggle: or. at least. only
the struggle of speechmaking. No one
in the House has been found yet who
predicts a defeat for the Sheppard
bill when the time to vote arrives.
Early Meeting of District CUnuniftC<.
1t was learned today that as soon
as the hearings on the Lewis tele-
phone bill are out of the way Chair
man Johnson will call together the
House District Committee for the pur-
pose of taking up the Sheppard pro-
hibtion bill. This Is said to be satis-
factory TO the proponents OF the biii,
as they fear inaction worse than an
adverse report. The Houss can act
on an adverse report when presented
from a committee, exactly as 1t can
act on a favorable report
Barkley Bill Before COMMITTEES.
The District committee already has
the Barkley bill before 1t. That bill
Is the House edition of the Sheppard
bill, fathered and written by Repre-
sentative Barley. or Kentucky
has been referred to the subcommtt-
tee on the judiciary, of which Repre-
sentative tfnsea, of Georgia Is ehairs-
man.
IJp to this point there have been no
hearings on the Barley bill. Requests
for hearings have been made in de-
suftory manner in the past. but Mr..
vinson has taken the position that
as long as the Sheppard bill was up
in the Senate he would wait until the
bill came to the House.
Now, should any request for hear
ngs he made. 1t IS possible they will
be granted. Supporters of the Bark
ley-Sheppard legislation made It plain
today. however they would oppose
the idea Of ng-drawn discussions OF
the question of prohibition in the
District.
Willing to Accept Sheppard Bill.
Representative Barley said, in dis
cussing the situation today:
Il have introduced two bills for pro-
hibition In the District of Columbia.
and inasmuch as the last one Is al
most Identical with the Sheppard bill
as passed by the Senate / will be COM
tent to accept the Sheppard bill. OF
course this bill he referred to the Dis
trict committee. and I have been In
formed that it would be reported 10
the House by that committee"
There are wet" members on thu
District Committee OF the House who
may be expected to fight the Shepr
pard bill or any other prohibition
measure. If these succeed In stop
ping its progress. the move which the
prohibttionists expect to make u
through the Rules Committee. That
committee is closely divided on the
dry and wet question, but dry
prophets predict that when Il c0mea
/ to the question Of rule by which the
/ Sheppard bill should be taken up by
| special order in the House, there VIII
| be a majority OF four.
| Prollibitionists On the Alert
! Prohibitionists have feared the Dis
| trict Committee of the House for SOW
| eral months past, although 1t has bean
extremely difficult to get an accurate
line on what each member will a.
| when 1t comes to vote on tho nve
| issue now before them N
| One thing is certain, the prohiti@
tiontsts expect another attempt ~
| place a referendum paragraph on thu
I, bill in the House, and they ara pre-
| pared to block this II possible.
Prohibiting Language Of RHL
The prohibiting language Of the bill
| says: ssssas
| mo person or persons. or any
house, company, association, club
corporation. his. Its OF THAR a&Nl
ofYicerss clerks or servants direcfix
indirectly. shall. in the District
! Columbia, manufacturv for -