Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-07-18


lands both voted recently for the
permitting of the manu-.
facture Of beer and wines. this though
the ban was placed against whisky.
While Senator Newlands had been
classed as "conservatively wet" Sen
ator Pittman was known to have gone
on record on previous occasions as
being definitely in favor Of absolute
prohibition and thus the vote of the
latter representative was construed as
coming as somewhat of n surprise.
Therefore, to those who are interested
in Senator Pittman's stand on the
question. the following excerpts from
his most recent speeches on the sub
ject in the senate as Cleaned from the
Congressional Record, will carry en-
lightenment, not only as to his views
on the prohibition question but upon
the entanglements within the food bill
controversy:
"Mr. President, / did not vote on
the last amendment because l could
not vote on IL and maintain a con-
sistent stand. will vote for a bill
separate and apart from this bill that
shall provide for bone.dry prohibition
in this country during the war.
have heretofore gone as far as l could
on this matter under the c-nstitu.
tional authority OF congress.
but l know this that these prohi-
bition amendments are being voted for
by certain senators here not because
they want prohibition, nor because
they expect prohibition in any form
whatever, but solely for the purpose OF
killing this bill. There are senators
in this body who have spoken against
the house provision and have spok en-
against provisions such as we just
carried. and yet they voted for the
amendment just now. Why? II was
not because they wanted II, IL was not
because they ever expected it TO be
a law, and therefore IL must have been
because they sought an excuse to
| filibuster against the passage of this
bill.
There are two classes of senators
I In this body who are opposing the
bill. One OF these is opposing it be
cause they are opposed TO prohibition
The other class is opposing 1t for the
reason that they resent are govern
ment control over the business inter.
ests OF this country. Neither one OF
these classes has sufficient votes To
prevent a cloture bill from passing
but both classes acting together have
more than one-third OF this body and
can prevent any vote from being OBJ
tanned on the bill at any time. That
Is the whole situation.
Il am going to vote against the tack
ing OF a beer.prohibition amendment
on this bill, because believe that by
the defeat OF such amendment we will
obtain the necessary support of the
bill Of that class who are against pro
hibition. We will then get two-thirds
of the votes of this body. and il re
qQres two-thirds of the votes to ter
inmate debate and obtain final vote
AS ii requires two-thirds of this body
TO stop debate, ii can only be accom-
plished by dividing the opposition L
the bill. This fact is we'll known e
practically every senator on this floor
i 81 know that there are thousand
OF families in this country who are tn
Victims of alcohol, but there are 100
600 times as many who are suffering
today by reason of the criminally eH
orbitant price of food.
Much as | would like to crush GU
the effect OF liquor in this country.
would far rather today place in tn
reach of the poor people of this cour
) try the food 1aat they must have. Thi
seek to Immediately grant food TO tn
poor and those who are opposed to tn
, bill or who hold prohibition aboy
Z human life. That Is the thing We al
Z facing now, and regret to say thf
some senators on this floor are toda
! voting to put prohibition amendment
on the bill will later be found usin
4 such amendments, If they are adopte
as an excuse for a filibuster again!
the bill. ask the country to watC
and see II some OF the men here WI
! Iare voting TO tack on this bill prob
bitIon amendments do not do ever
4 thing in their power to prevent til
\ bill from ever coming to n vote.
that is so, then their votes are insil
cero and are given for the very pu
Z pose Of defeating the bill, and for Il
; other purpose.
81 regret to see some of those wi
have charge OF the bill on the fot
here voting for prohibition amen
Z ments that they will later move
\ strike out. II Is an inconsistency thu
the country will not understand, ar
= II IL their own fault II the COUNT
z does not understand them. There
= not a senator here who does not knO
that II you tack prohibition on tn
q bill II means the death of the bill, b
= cause more than onetbird of the bot
3 are opposed to prohibition and will I