The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-27
Prohibition Measure Has Al
ready Passed Senate With
Little Opposition
VICTORY CONFIDENTLY
LOOKED FOR BY DRYS
Why Capital Should Get Into
Class With Other Forward
Looking Units of Nation 10
Pointed Out

washington. Feb. 26.-T he
Distrif-s of Columbia prohibition
bill, which has already passed
the senate, will come before the
house for vote within . day or
two. This Is a measure which
plans To put the national capital
In the same class with many
other forward looking units Of
the United States, In all TO date,
twenty-five states, one moro than
n majority. This bdn passed tho
senate with such little opposition,
once 1t came to u vote, A. to EN-.
phasize the far-reaching semti-
ment for prohibition.
The senate is said to be the one
legislative body which is least re-
sponsive to the will OF the people
because of the fact that tts members
serve for six years, and are, there
fore. more immune to rejection at
! the polls than their Fellows on the
house side, where elections occur
every two years.
This being true, the charge 20 often
heard that the pass4se ~ ms DfStfaGS
of Columbia bill, and other dry
measures. was due entirely to political
influence is thoroughly discredited
Rather. tho fact lis emphasized that
a great majority of the members or
become thoroughly convinced in their
own minds that prohibition from
moral. economic and health produc-
ing standpoint. Is right That Ia the
reason they are voting for It; not be-
cause OF political expediency.
Opposition Shown Up.
Efforts to defeat the District OF
Columbia prohibition bill have been
SO badly bungled. resulting in the
showing up Of the character of the
opposition to It. as to do the prohi-
eltion cause good rather than harm.
Starting out with the theory that
only by delay could the defeat of this
measure be brought about as to the
present session of congress. the vets
and these included various organiza-
tons operating under the guise OF
referendum and other associations.
determined to clog the record Of the
District OF Columbia committee and.
by hook or crook. postpone action
until after March 4. next.
The eagerness of the wet forces to
do this. however has apparently re-
suited In their undoing. BY forcing
postponements from time to time Of
the date on which the measure would
he taken up by the committee for
real determination the indignation OF
hundreds of members of the house
Republicans. Democrats, Prohibition
lists and independents, was aroused
and insistent demands were made
on the house rules committee to re-
port out a rule under which the Dis
! trict committee would be discharged
| from further consideration of the
, measure and the bill be brought up
| and placed upon its passage.
The rules committee met and re-
art nut T,v $o}
to all interests, the referendum
proposition demanded by the vets
was made a part of the rule so that
the sense Of the house as to il could
/ he put on record, Friends of the
sheppard bill. sponsored. in the house
by Representative A. W. Barkley. OF
Kentucky, express confidence that
the referendum will be overwheIm-
ingly defeated. and the prohibition
bill overwhelmingly adopted The
vote in rules committee was interest
ing from many standpoints.
Those voting for the rule were
Representative Garrett. of Tennessee,
Democrat: Foster of Illinois. Demo-
crat: Harrison. OF Mississippi, DEM
ocrat; Campbell. of Kansas, Republic
can; Lenroot, of Wisconsin. Republic
cam Bennet. of New York. Republi.
can Chiperfield. of Illinois, Republic
can.
Not Political Nor Geographical.
This list includes three Democrats
and four Republicans. coming from
all sections of the country. thus
demonstrating the fact that this Ques-
ton is not political nor Is 1t geo
graphical. Those voting in opp0A-
ton to the rule were Representative
Henry, OF Texas, chairman. Demo-
crat: Pou of North Carolina. DEM
ocrat: Cantrill. of Kentucky, Dem.
ocrat, and Patton. Of New York.
Democrat
During the hearings before the
house District committee on the Dis
trict prohibition bill. and the one
hearing before the rules COMMITTEES
on the measure, tho net result Of the
arguments presented was somewhat
as follows;
F. 4 ppsdrfns for the hill were fups
resentatives of the individual homes.
individual business establishments.
the labor unions. the schools. tn
churches. the Sunday schools. cit
ixens' associations and numerous
other interests OF this Disfrict ~