Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-19
ANTI-SlLOON LEAGUE
LOBBY IS HUSTLING
1t Seeks To Jam Prohibition Leg
islation through
PLAN HALTED BY SENATE
And Now 1t Appears War Emergency
Measures viii Never See The
Light Of Day.

The Anti-SalCon League lobby at
the State House is displaying great
haste to push its program through
the Legislature. During the opening
day it tried to jam through the SEN
ate a resolution ratifying the pro-
hibition amendment to the Federal
Constitution In this move it was
baked The 20-day limit, within
which the resolution must be report
ed by the Committee on Federal
Amendments, which has it in charge,
is nearing expiration. Hence the fail
ure of the League to renew its jam
ming tactics.
The failure in the Senate deferred
a resort to the same tactics in the
House until Thursday when the tenn
perance committee met, and, with the
"drys' in absolute control, decided to
report the ratification amendment IA
yorably on Thursday At first, it is
reported, there was a disposition by
the majority of the committee to deny
hearings, but consented to give both
sides a chance to be heard on Tues
day next
The third rush tactics were brought
into play through the activities of
the same lobby on Thursday with Gov
ernor Harrington lending a helping
hand Not willing to wait until their
legislation takes its national course
the Prohibitionists, through the Gov
ernor, succeeded in having drafted an
emergency bill which, il enacted,
would have given him the absolute
power to close all saloons in the State.
While the bill apparently places re-
strictions upon the issue of closing
proclamations by the Governor, his
discretionary power is not restricted.
AutOcratic Powers Found.
The autocratic powers of the bill
as conveyed between the lines, were
discovered by Senator F'rick and
others. The Anti-Saloon League
lobby boasted that, through the Gov
ernor, the saloons in Baltimore would
be closed during the war period, This
boast was telephoned to Baltimore
and was telephoned back to Annap-
oils.
Senator Frick said that he was not
invited to the conference called by
the Governor, at which the bill to close
saloons and other emergency Meas
ures were agreed upon. He added
that his position on the whole ques-
ton was not influenced toward the
three bills by any Prohibition leader
or by anyone else. Senator Frick,
when informed of the plan to railroad
the three emergency bills through the
two Houses without reference to a
committee, declared that such a pro-
cedure was monstrous and that no
self-respecting legislative body would
abdicate its functions in any such
manner The situation, he thought,
was grave one, but there was no
occasion for Mysteries. In fact, the
graver the situation, the more neces-
sary it was that those who were
charged with the affairs of the State
should proceed with calmness and de-
liberation Anything that might be
done in an orderly manner, in accord
ance with the spirit and the letter Of
the Constitution and laws of Mary
land and the rules of procedure of
the General Assembly. He told his
associates that he felt so strongly on
the subject that he would vote against
the proposed procedure, if he were
the only Senator to do so.
In anticipation of the prompt pas
sage of the two emergency bills CIV
ing him power to close the saloons
and public schools, the Governor had
prepared proclamations carrying the
measures into effect. 1t is doubtful
if these measures viii ever see the
light of day, hence a waste of labor.
Detectives Dougherty and Porter
have been assigned for duty in the
State House during the legislative ses-
sion. Governor Harrington said that
they will be assigned to special duty.
He declared that they will be detail
ed to find slush funds on pending
measures.