The Washington times., 1917-02-24
VOTE ON DRY BILL
SURE WEDNESDAY
Chances of 100 to | in Favor
of Passage of Sheppard
Measure by Senate.
Continued from First Page.)

CONTINUED from First Page.)
Committee that action be taken at
once or else the District Committee
would have the prohibition bill wrest-
ed from it.
"To HI with the Rules Commit
tee" Congressman Hamill, of New
Jersey, is understood to have shouted
at the committee meeting.
| Tell Of Resentment.
After the meeting both wet and
dry members of the District Commit
tee saw Congressman Barkley and
members of the Rules Committee and
informed them that there was much
resentment in the District Committee
over the arbitrary tactics OF the Com
mittee on Rules.
Congressman Focht, of Pensyl-
vania; is reported to have said at the
District Committee meeting that "the
| Rules Committee cannot expect us to
get down on our knees to them after
the way they acted in the leak in
quiry. They wasted their time in
New York chasing around a little leak
and then had to come back to Wash
ington to find it in the cradle"
The upshot Of the days develop
ments:
There will be a vote in the House
next week on the Sheppard prohibition
bill, although the opponents of that
bill are clearly in the majority on the
District Committee.
to Vote Expected.
The Sheppard bill in unamended
form will in all human probability
pass by a vote of 3 to 1.
Both the referendum amendment
and the bone-dry amendment will be
voted down unceremoniously, al
though the House by vote of 321 to
az voted this week for a bone, dry
amendment on the postoffice appropri-
alton bill.
Dry leaders in the House say there
is ample time to make the District
bone-dry after the Sheppard bill,
carrying out the general idea of pro-
hibition, has been passed. A bone
dry resolution, they say, can be put
through at the next session OF Con-
gress, or at an extra session, with
out disturbing the Sheppard bill,
whereas it would defeat their bill
to include such an amendment to it
at this time.
Committeeman Indignant.
The vote in the Rules Committee
yesterday for a special rule was, as
predicted in The Times, seven to four.
with Congressman Henry, Cantrin, |
Pou, and Patten voting in the mega
tive. Congressman Pat Harrison OF
Mississippi, was delegated to present
the rule to the House, as Chairman |
Henry is out of sympathy with the |
move and Mr.. Harrison has led the |
fight in the Rules Committee for the |
discharge of the District Commit |
tee ~, ..s
The action of the Committee on |
Rules was taken despite a telephone |
message from the District Committee |
promising that the Sheppard-Bsrkley |
bill would be reported next Tuesday /
at noon. Soon after the Rules Com !
mittee received this word from the /
District Committee a vote was taken /,
and the result was in favor of taking |
the dry bill away from the latter |
committee.
"Wet" members OF the District !
Committee heard with indignation OF .
the summary action of the Commit !
tee on Rules. 1t had been assumed .
that when the District Committee :
voted to report the bill on Tuesday, /
the Rules Committee would hesitate |
to exercise its powers and would !
await the report Of the bill in a regu- |
lar way. :
Tired of Waiting. !
The Rules Committee took just the !
opposite view. When 1t was learned |
that the District Committee wanted !
until Tuesday to report the bill, Con- |
gressman Harrison pressed his mo- /,
tion to discharge. and the Rules Com !
mittee took the drastic step.
1--WE saw no reason for giving the |
District Committee four more days to !
act on the prohibition BILL" said a 1
dry" member OF the Rules Commit !
tee. 1--WE want a vote on II this ses-
sion, and II we must wait until Tues |
day to get the bill it might get lost !
in the jam at the end OF the session. |
So we acted"
Congressman Harrison put the spe-
cial rule in his pocket to present,at !
any time. He said last night that the !
prohibition fight probably would be |
delayed until Monday, as he would 1
await the outcome of today's meeting |
of the District Committee.
The special rule voted out Is sub |
stantIalIy as II was introduced by /
Congressman Barkley, co-authOr of |
the prohibition bill. 1t allows three |
hours debate on the prohibition meas
ure The offering OF amendments is /
permitted on the House floor, al |
though the "dry" program is to de- |
feat every amendment, important or |
unimportant.
No Amendments Due.
The "drys" would like to see in
cIuded in the District prohibition |
bill n ."bone dry" Amendment. but |
they do not care to take the chance |
of inserting such a provision. Any |
amendment of the Senate bill would |
result in the return of the measure |
to the upper chamber, where a one
man flibuster might kill it, The !
plan OF the prohibitionists in the |
House is to vote for tho Sheppard |
bill Just as IT passed the upper cham
ber, and to change not so much as a |
comma in the Senate bill This ac-
tion will prevent the return of the |
bill to the Senate, or it's being thrown