The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-17

Washington. Feb. l6.--Atter a
lengthy discussion on the floor OF the
senate today. the Reed amendment to
the anti-advertising bill, under which
prohibition states would be made
bone dry was retained in the bill by
a vote OF SO TO IS Senator Beckham,
OF Kentucky, tried TO have the Reed
amendment eliminated on a point of
order that it was not properly added
tn the first amendment, the ant-ad-
vertising bill Senator Pomerene, OF
Ohio. in the chair. ruled against Sen
ator Beckham's point of order. and
held that the motion of Senator Ken
yon. OF Iowa, that the Reed amend
ment be eliminated. was IN order.
Lengthy Debate Ensues.
Following this rule by the chair,
a lengthy debate preceded the taking
OF the vote Those speaking In favor
Of the elimination OF the Reed amend
ment Senator's Beckham. Jones, of
Washington and Kenyon. of Iowa.
took the position that such An amend
ment at this time would tend to in
terfere with the rights OF the states
TO act ON this matter themselves: that
il would tend to discourage the enact
lnent Of prohibition laws In states like
Kentucky. and that it would put OBJ
stacles in the way of the gradual and
PRACTICAL bringing about of prohibi-'
ton in states which are vet to act
upon this question.
The vote.
Those voting for the elimination of
the Reed amendment TO the anti
advertising bill were az follows;
Ashurst. Bankhead, Beckhan.
Clapp. Culberson, Fall, fernald Hol-
lis. James. Jones. Kenyon, Lane.
Martin. Norris, Overman. Owen. Page.
pomerene, Shafroth. Shields. Sim
mons. Stone. swanson. Thomas Till
man. Townsend. Works.
Those yotins n The negative were:
Borah. Brandegeo. Br u IS a.r d.
Bryan Catron, Chiffon, Cummins,
du Pont Fletcher, Hitchcock.
Huxhes Husting johnson. South
Dakota Kirby Ia Toilette, Lea
Tennessee. Lea, Maryian nd: LAppitt.
Lodge McCunIber, Mcl-ane, MARITIME.
Nelson pittfnan. PojndeNter. Rams
dell Reed. sheppard. sherman,
smith. GeorgI~: Smith. Michigan;
Smoot Sutherland, Thompson. Wads-
worth. Walsh. Watson, Williams.
Text of Amendment.
The Reed amendment il as follows:
Whoever shall order. purchase or
cause Intoxicating liquors to be trans
ported in interstate commerce except
LOT SCltnNtIIts SaGi ilShtdi,
or mechanical purposes into any state
or territory the laws of which state
or territory prohibit the manufacture
or sale therein OF Intoxicating liquors
for beverage purposes, shall be pun
ished- by a fine of not more than one
thousand dollars or Imprisonment not
more than six months or both. and for
any Subsequent offcnse shall he inn
'rY'fsouert not more than enc gear
Eject OF amendment.
The effect of the Reed amendment,
II adopted by the house of representa-
tives. will be TO prohibit the trans
portation in interstate commerce OF
any Intoxicating liquors for beverage
purposes into any state which has
prohibited the manufacture and sale
of Intoxicating liquors. even though
the laws of said state permit the i'm
portatiou of limited quantity OF
Intoxicating liquors for beverage pur-
poses.
While personally favorable to the
prohibition of the importation Of in
toxicants for beverage purposes. yet
the prohibition leaders did not pro-
pose or ask for this legislation at this
time. There are many states which
have abolished the saloon and TIRE
traffic in intoxicants which have not
vet adopted bone dry" laws because
public sentiment has not vet been ed
ucated that far, and the leaders in the
states have not thought il to be wise
10 legislate beyond what will he sup
+ ported by the people. 1t is thought
hv many workers that the federal gov
eminent should not interfere with or
break down the prohibition policy
adopted by several states with fr'
knowledge of conditions in those
Z states until the states as whole arc
+ styesi.the wight. to. pass npors this auas-
( ton in the manner provided for
amending the federal constitution in
the sheppard Webb resolution.
e The amendment was offered by Sen
ator Reed Of Missouri one OF the
! leaders of the wet forces. aud the pur-
| pose of the amendment is to produce,
II possible. reaction In the staGss