Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1917-12-28
LIQUOR FIGHT is
STARTED ALREADY
First Battle Of Prohibition and
License Forces Over Elections
To Next Legislature.
TEMPERANCE MEN HOPEFUL.
Governor HoIcomb Thinks General
Assembly viii Turn Down
the Proposed Federal
Amendment.

Hartford. 49, Governor Marcus II.
Holcomb believes that the majority
vote when taken by the Connecticut
legislature upon national prohibition
will be for license as against state
wide prohibition In letter directed
to a New York newspaper the chief
executive says
My opinion as to the result OF the
vote In Connecticut on the prohibition
amendment to the constitution would
be only guess. We have local OPP
tion in Connecticut, and in 1915 there
were. 81 license and 81 no license
towns. In 1916 there we're n license
and 81 no license towns The cities
seldom vote upon the question and
are in nearly every case license
From this it would appear that the
majority vote of the state woul be
tor license"
The vote upon the amendment to
the constitution providing for national
prohibition may be taken in the Con
neetieut assembly next year. or at the
subsequent session two years hence,
or at any time within seven years
The prohibition forces made strong
effort last year to force the state pro
hibition law and were unsuccessful,
although the votes piled u for the
measure during the last day of the
bIoh
tically eliminate the saloons was
close enough to cause the liquor deal
ers considerable anxiety In fact.
greater effort was exerted LIST year
against prohibition than at any time
during "a session in many years
The house OF representatives OF
Connecticut passed the bill proposing
an amendment to the constitution OF
the state providing for prohibition by
n vote of lab to So. In the senate the
bill failed to pass. Thus one step to
ward state prohibition is accomplish.
ed. In order to become law II must
now pass the house and sc ate by a
two-thirds vote and go before the peo-
ole for ratification. An attempt was
made in the latter days OF the SEES
sion to secure prohibition as war
measure. when the manufacturers al
ligned themselves with the prohibition
interests In securing the passage o;
the so called governors war prohibi
ton bill, which was 80 emasculated
by compromissory features that 1t
failed OF passing the house by a
large majority and never went to the
senate.
II. H. Spooner. legislative repre-
sentative oil the prohibition interests
of the state, said that he believed
there Is an excellent chance in this
state for passing the federal amend
ment. The sentiment in the house
during the past several sessions has
inclined greatly toward prohibition
Although the cities as represented by
The senate seldom vote for no license
the sentiment in the house. in which
representation is by towns, is gener
ally dry Mr. Spooner made the Oh
seryation that If there were specia
session now OF the general assembly
the federal amendment would pass
Though the Prohibition party vote II
the state is scarcely 1900. this Is thu
only negligible part OF the force which
the temperance people hope to allgr
with them from among Democrats anc
Republicans He says many who dc
not favor state prohibition, ON ac
count of the practical impossibility o
enforcing 1t uniformly between states
would be glad to favor national prohi
bition when it is assured that liquor
can't be brought from one state to an
other adjacent state