The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1917-02-16
Barbour of Chicago Makes
Dramatic Attack on Sa-
loon. Calls Prohibition
a Question Of Ma
tional Honor
DRY SENTIMENT GAINS In
HOUSE

Amidst scenes of wild enthusiasm
and dramatic intensity, the bill grant
ing a statewide referendum on the
liquor question passed the Illinois
Senate Tuesday afternoon by a vote
of 81 to 18.
Senator Daley of Peoria, leader oi
the vets, in sensational declaration,
Interpreted the passage of the bill as
the Handwriting on the wall'' to the
saloonkeepers if they do not "clean
up"
The tset in the House will come first
weckin in March. Dry sentiment among
house members is growing so rapidly
that the dry leaders are confident of
victory. Several members, heretofore
wet, have promised to support the
measure. Several others are expected
to come into the dry camp before the
vote. is taken, and what happened in
Indiana, when many lifelong vets
suddenly switched TO fo the dry - sida,
may happen here.
The most sensational speech OF the
day was that of Senator James J..
Barbour of Chicago in favor of the
bill.
Session after session of these as
semblies have been deadlocked, and
their organizations delayed" said he,
because of this wet and dry issue.
There is presented to you for the first
time the opportunity to rid yourself
of these most embarrassing contro-
versies and to let the people, whose
servant you are, settle once and for
all by referendum vote, the question
whether our state shall be longer en-
shaved by rum.
"Our neighbors guard and protect
us on every side. Michigan, Indiana
and Iowa bid us join the roll of states
that soon will forever rid the nation
of this death dealing traffic"
Cheer greeted the Senator when he
declared:
1.-THE water-wagon is moving so rap
idly that it is almost impossible to
keep track of it. Twenty-Five states
are now in the dry column. Wyoming
has submitted the question to refer
endum vote. Minnesota will also sub
init the question to vote. The big
cities are going dry. Denver, Seattle,
Kansas City recently gave majorities
for Prohibition. Utah and Indiana
have gone dry while this bill has been
in committee. Illinois is preparing to
follow"
Senator Barbour stated that in the
course of his experience as Assistant
States Attorney in Chicago, he had
been engaged in the trials of IS muir
der cases, and that liquor played a
leading part in every one of them. He
asserted that the closing of the sa-
looms in Chicago on Sunday had been
followed by a great reduction of
crime. He quoted Judge Prindiville
of Chicago, who has tried more po-
lice cases in the city than any other
magistrate, living or dead, as saying
that 65 per cent of crime is due to
liquor and 90 per cent of murders.
First Blood for Drys
The drys scored their first victory
in the Senate last week when the bill
was upon its second reading. John
Barleycorn" Daley of Peoria, as he
is now Familiarity known, introduced
three amendments intended to dis
credit the bill with both vets and
drys. One prohibited the manufac-
tire of liquor for mechanical, medi-
cal and sacramental as well as for
beverage purposes. Another provided
compensation If the liquor traffic were
put out Of business. A third excluded
Cook county from the operations OF
the bill
Continued on Page Two)