Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-02-04
Prompt Action to Be. Taken to
Jam Through Legislation
Under Suspension of Rules
of Lower House.
REPORT CLERGY AVERSE
TO DRASTIC RESOLUTION
Drafters of Law Given to Un-
derStand That Leaders of
Catholic Church Objected
to Restriction.
(By II. l.. d. McAllister. Staff Corrc-
spondt4nt.)

Santa Fe. Feb. 3.-The first step in
the process of enacting legislation to
bring before the people of New Mex
leo the constitutional amendment
providing for statewide prohibition
will be taken in the senate on Mon
day. The compromise resolution re-
ported by the committee on constitu-
tional amendments of that body as a
substitute for the Mcdonald and Clark
resolutions will come up as a special
order at 3 O'Clock, and while there may,
and probably will be. a manifestation
of opposition to it in it's present form,
it is safe to say that the resolution
will be passed by the senate without
amendments.
1t has all along been assumed that
The opponents 10 prohibition Will
make their stand in the house, but
with matters shaped up as they are
at present it is difficult to sec how
very strong stand can be made. At
the beginning of the session there was
every indication that carefully laid
plans were being put into effect in
the house to block prohibition legis-
lation. But there was one bet that
the -prohibitonists had over
looked-one crack in their wall OF
defense that they failed to chink up.
They omitted to pass a rule requirinr
more than a bare majority of the
house to suspend the rules.
To Jam 1t Through.
The present plan of the prohibition
leaders is to act promptly and vigor-
ously as soon as the compromise reso-
luton reaches the house from the
senate. A. motion will be made to
suspend the rules and read the reso-
luton d third time preparatory to its
passage. Apparently there are enough
dry votes in the house to pass such
motion. Then when the bill is read
the third time in full, a motion will
be made that it be passed and, under
the ordinary procedure, the speaker
will declare the resolution before the
house for discussion and amendments.
1t is at this point that there will be
a fight if one is to come. With both
political parties solemnly pledged to
put before the people state wide
prohibition amendment, it is difficult
to see how any responsible members
of the house can make a direct at
tack on the resolution. But neither
party is pledged to any special form
of constitutional amendment, ana
the field offered for amending the
pending resolution is practically un-
limited.
The prohibitionists declare that
their forces will stick together on
every roll call and will vote down ev-
cry amendment proposed. There is
reason to believe that they are cor
rect in this prediction, and that the
resolution will go through in the form
in which it is received from the SEN
ate. Let one amendment be adopted
by the house and the whole fabric of
statewide prohibition is endangered
in this legislature.
Drys Now Together.
This is so for the reason that 1t has
been the most difficult task imagin-
able to bring all the prohibition forces
together on a resolution that will
command their united support, and III
any change, however slight, is made
in the present resolution, it is prac-
tically certain that they will fly apart
again and that in the time remaining
before the adjournment of the legis-
lature 1t will be next to impossible to
reunite them on measure that would
have any chance of passage.
Like all compromises the resolution
that will be voted on in the senate
Monday is not entirely satisfactory toI
any of the conflicting elements pledg-
ed to the principals of statewide pro-
hibition. The bone dry prohibitionistsI
are less satisfied than anybody. They
claim that the resolution in its pres
ent form is an invitation to the boot
logger to set up business in the state
and that the teeth of the law are
drawn when it comes to Furnishing
him or preventing his illicit traffic.
But the resolution was the best that !