The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-12
RULES WILL ISSUE TO
BRING UP DRY VOTES
House Committee on Rules Expected
To Take Bill Out OF Com.
mittec's Hands.
ANOTHER VICTORY FOR DRys
Similar Move To he Made In Case of
the Mails Bill Now Before Commit
tee on Postofiices and Postroa<is.

Washington. n. C., Feb. 1l-Wfth-
in few days the house committee on
rules will have issued a rule, resulting
from the palpable attempts on the
part of wet members of the house
District of Columbia committee to
postpone action on the Sheppard
Rarkley District prohibition bill. call
| ing for the consideration of that
measure directly by the house itself
The rule of delay, decided upon by
wet members of the house district
committee. for the sole end only pur-
pose OF defeating consideration OF the
dry measure at this session OF con-
gress, has borne the fruit expected
Of such an effort to retain saloons in
the national capital
That similar action by the rules
committee with respect to the mails
bill now pending in the house com
Tittee on postoff1res and postroads
may be expected, in time to pass that
measure at this session, is not inn
proha bic, In the postoffice committee
as we'll as in the district committee,
The wet forces have Knocked the eff
forts of the dry workers appearing
/ before these bodies. and openly scorn-
ID efforts to secure consideration or
the bill. to such an extent as to make
plain now what everyone has believed
all the time. that these all-important
measures are sought to be defeated
, through delay
That the house will pass the Dis
trict of Columbia bin by an ever
whelming majority is conceded by
some OF the strongest supporters of
the vets In. order that the rules
com n1ittee NAV act In ample time.
members of the house OF representa-
ives outraged by the tactics resorted
% in re ent weeks ny the wet forces,
have started a petition to the rules
committee asking that il issue a rule
taking the district bin out OF me
hands OF the district committee.
Therefore II looks as II another
great victory al this session OF CON
gress for the hand of noble workers
in the dry cause. those in Washington
as we'll. is at hand.
Judge A. w Rarkley, of Kentucky.
tho militant Young dry leader whose
bill in tho house Of representatives
for a dry Washington is a companion
measure. 20 that OF Senator Sheppard.
OF Texas, spoke for few minutes only
before the house district committee.
Friday morning, Judge Barley took
that occasion to say the dry WORKERS
would not ask for further time al the
hands OF the committee now When
Representative Cary. OF Wisconsin,
author Of a referendum amendment
to the district bill, sought to interro-
gate judge Barkley. the latter replied
that he did not care TO discuss a mat
ter further which did not call for ex-
preston from him at the time
Judge Barkley said that II was a
ta,s TO-. 80 t,.4y- -,
decide whether any further time
should be granted fog hearings on the
local bill; that he would not presume
20 dictate to the committee This re-
ply was made TO 4 query from M.
Cary as 10 whether the dry workers
thought the hearings should he end
ed now, without giving the wet
referendum supporters an opportunity
TO be heard
f. w. oyster. one OF the old and
valued prohibition workers in the Dis
triCt Of Columbia, one OF the fathers
Of the Central Labor union here made
a lengthy speech before the house
district committee Friday morning
He not only furnished facts and
figures OF the most convincing char
acter touching the blessings OF prohi-
billion in Colorado and other states.
as attestcd by union labor bodies aud
officers Of the san me. but he denied the
imputation that union workers as a
whole in Washington and elsewhere
are back of the wet activities. and
supporters of the saloon as an institu-
ton.
with much effect. Mr.. Oyster de-
'lared that as long as he had carried
the union labor banner in the Dis
trict of Columbia as one of It's officers
and workers it was never drawn
through the slime of the saloon"
Efforts by Mr.. Cary TO confuse Mr..
oyster. and to question the latter's
right TO represent union labor. result
cd in the prtting TO rout of the men,
Der from Wisconsin by the doughty
veteran from Washington. Mr.. Oyster
sketched the steps leading up to the
passage of the excise liquor law in the
! District OF Columbia. and ne en-
! phasized the heneficent results of that
'aw. He said the same had been
proven true in every state where pro-
hibition had been given a fair trial.
He said the saloon Is a nuisance. that
it is indefensible. and that it must
and shall go.
Mr., Oyster had the entire attention
of the committee throughout the
hour and one-half which he spoke. He
was frequently interrupted by ques-
! tons by members, all OF which he
answered to the great satisfaction OF
the dry members of the committee.
and the dry workers in the commit
tee room.
When Representative Cary started
to interrogate Representative Barley
he suggested that the committee go
into executive session. Representative
Lloyd, of Missouri. at once interrupt
ed with a suggestion that he did not
favor executive sessions. Representa-.
tive Barkley said he was willing to
answer in the open any questions put
! to him by Mr.. Cary, The result was
there was no executive session. and
Mr.. Cary put his questions. although
| in a mpnh fperturbed manner.
A leauing wet member of the house
discussing the probable vote on the
district prohibition bill soon to be
taken In the house. admitted that he
would vote wet, but that he would
have nothing whatever to say. as he
realized the passage of the measure
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