Evening journal., 1917-03-24
"DRYS" TAKE Names
OFF VOTE petition
House Allows Members to
Withdraw Names From
Local Option Paper
RECONSIDERATION
IN SENATE FAILS
Stan Correspondent.

pidi correspondents
DOVER. March 24.-After hearing
arguments by lawyers for and
against the proposition. the House last
night adopted by a vote OF rs to Ia a
resolution offered by Mr. Boyce au-
thorizing six OF the members who
signed tho rural New Castle resub-
mission petition to withdraw their
names. Robert G. Harman and James
NJ. Tunnel, counsel for the House.
both gave IL as their opinion that the
members could not withdraw their
names unless they disobeyed the con-
stitutiOn. The action means that the
bill cannot be passed with the names
on the petition. The vote was as fol-
lows:
Yeas-Ahern, Boyce, Burris, Chip
man, Culver, DAILY. Green, Gregg,
Gruwell, ID. G. Hall, Hutchison, Killen,
Davis. Loose, Messick Peet, Swain,
Tindall-1S
Nays-Collins, Connolly, Downward,
Ellison, Jones, Kersey, Marvel, Nc
Nabb, Prettyman. Pritchett, Rash.
Webster, Welch and Speaker Hall-14.
Absent - Buckingham, Cross. Tar
burton-3
In explaining his vote Mr. Down
ward said he did not consider IL
wet and dry" issue and would vote
no" because he believed that the
Constitution was mandatory in this
respect.
After taking his seat Mr.. Downward
suddenly jumped up and said he OBJ
/ iected to being threatened, and again
declared he cid not consider it "wet"
and dry" question He claimed that
Mr.. Burris came to him and told him
he had made the mistake OF his life
and that he resented il.
Mr. McNabb remarked. That's the
way they got everything through here
by bulldozing"
Speaker Hall, Mr.. Ellison and sew
eral others also explained they voted
mo" because they believed in uphold
ing the Constitution.
i The petition follows:
Mr.. Speaker and Members Of the House
of Representatives of the State OF
| Delaware:
Whereas. There has been filed in the
temperance committee of this body a pc
tition requesting an election on the re-
submission of the question of local op-
tion at the next general election, and
Whereas, House bill No. l65. provid-
ing for submission on the local option
question in New Castle county and the
city of Wilmington has passed tho
House and Senate of Delaware and there
is no necessity for the petition afore-
said;
Therefore. Your petitioners, whose
names appear on said petition, hereby
request that their names be stricken
therefrom, and that House bill No. 242
be stricken from the calendar.
W. TruNton BOyce,
Martin b. Burris,
Harry j. Ahern.
Willard $. Gregg,
J. c. Hutchison,
Thomas J. Green.
When Mr.. Boyce presented the petit
tion TO the House. Representative Me-
Nabb said he would object TO the with
drawal of the names from the petition
unless the attorneys of the House would
say il was legally right for the signers
of the petition-to withdrawn their
names. Mr.. McNabbb said he had been
/ told that IL is mandatory that the bill
must be passed and asked for an ex-
| preston cf the opinion of the attorneys
! OF tho House as TO the legality OF the
proposed resolution.
Robert G.. Harman. advisory counsel
'or mo House stated that some time
ago ," was asked for an opinion a. 20
AAe'ner those who signed their names