Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-03-26
"BONE DRY" BILL
UP FOR DECISION
Change in Sentiment Promises
Close Fight Over Radical
Features of Measure.
SEARCH" NOT LIKED
tFrom a Staff Correspondent }

Lincoln, MdrCn Eo.-(SpeCldl.)-
The coming week will settle the
proposition of just how dry Nebraska
is to be.
The bill backed by the dry people,
which passed the house with only
three dissenting votes, has been on
the griddle in the senate since that
time. Last week day was set for its
consideration, but a bunch of amend
ments sprung by the so-called liberals
had the effect of putting it over until
Tuesday.
Change of Sentiment.
A change in sentiment since the bill
passed the house is apparent. The
bone dry" features are not liked by
many and the apparent effort to place
the law enforcement machinery of the
state in private hands and the right
of unlimited search of private prop
erty has worked against the bill.
The dry plea that Governor Neville
is in hearty sympathy with all the re-
quirements of the bill is denied. In
fact it is given out on trustworthy
authority that Governor Neville op-
posed certain features OF the bill be-
fore the committee. 1t is said that he
is for a dry bill. but opposes giving
the private individual the right to
force the searching of another's prem
ises without taking some response
bility himself.
Pressure on Democrats.
Local dry papers are attempting to
force democratic members on the
strength of the plank in the demo-
cratic platform pledging the enact
ment OF law in conformity with the
vote Of the people on the dry amend
ment.
While admitting that the demo-
cratic platform pledged dry law.
some of the democratic members in
sist the present bone dry" bill is not
at all what the people voted for and
as proof use the arguments put out
officially through the secretary of
state by the dry people as TO what
the amendment really meant. Page 3
of that document, paragraph 3, reads
as follows: This amsndment does
not in any way infringe upon the
rights of the individual. The right to
sell and manufacture liquor should be
prohibited, but its personal use should
be left to the discretion of the indi-
vidual"
Beyond Real Issue, He Says.
One very prominent democratic of
fetal said this morning he believed
that if the proposition of bone dry
bill had been submitted it would have
been defeated. He looks upon the
attempt to put over the present bill
as one which is not in accord with
the wishes of the people and utterly
beyond the real issue
A leading member Of the legislature
said yesterday that while he was al
ways wilis.g and anxious to carry out
every platform pledge of the demo-
cratic party, lie did not consider that
he was held to vote for a bone dry"
bill when the proposition upon which
the people voted was not bone dry
bill, but one which would close up
the saloons.
Both Sides Claim Victory.
"The initiative and referendum law
was enacted for the very purpose of
giving the people chance to instruct
the legislature as to their desires and
it was not to be expected that the
members elected would pass any
other law than that proposed in the
said he, "and for the life
Of me | can't see how democrat
elected OIL platform pledging the
to enact a law covering
the proposed amendment have any
right to vote an other kind of law
than the one the people voted for"
However, it looks as though the
fight would be interesting for it takes
seventeen votes to carry the bill and
both sides are claiming that number.
Both sides, in particular, claim Sena-
tor Albert, the drys claiming he S
pledged by the vote of his district,
which went dry by some 300 majority, |
while the "wets" contend this ma
iority cast was not for the kind of
measure under consideration, but for
the kind covered by the amendments
to be considered Tuesday.