New-York tribune., 1918-03-11
''Drys . redict
They Will Win
In Legislature
Prohibitionists Feel Sure Of
Assembly and Count
on Senate
STAFF Cor7'csDondcnce1

ALBANY. March 10.-Thc big drive
of the "drys" starts tomorrow, when
there will be final legislative hearing
on the various liquor bills, and on Tues
day the "drys" except the Hll-McNab
resolution, ratifying the Federal bone
dry amendment to be adopted by the
Assembly by majority of from three
to twenty votes. And next week, the
"drys" predict, the Senate will follow
the course CT the lower house
The change Of sentiment in the Leg
islature in favor of prohibition-fo
there has been such change--is attrb-
uted to the women voters of the state.
Credit for it is given to the women by
the "drys" and one disgusted anti
prohibitionist cpitomiZed the feelings
Of his associates on this phase Of it to-
night by saying:
Eve would beat prohibition without
any trouble but for the women, or
rather the fear of them. For it is fear
Of them that has caused this wave Of
pl ohibition The women are against
the saloon. And they regard any one
who will vote in favor of anything other
than bone-dry legislation as a friend Of
the saloons, aad therefore their enemy !"
Fear the Woman Vote
The history of the fight here this
year for prohibition is proof of the
fact that fear of the woman vote has
caused the doubling legislators to
swing to the side Of thc "drys.' The
"wets" fear that three more of the leg
islators in the upper house will join
the "drys," thus insuring the adoption
Of the ratification by the Senate, which
would put New York in then "dry" COL
umn.
The history is briefly this: Senator
William II. Hill, Of Binghamton. and
Walter S. McNab, of Schenectady, in
troduced the resolution calling upon
the Legislature to ratify the prol oscd
Federal bone dry amendment to the
constitution. This was in the open
ing days of the session. AT that time,
and in fact until early last week, no.
even the most sangune "dry" would
predict that the resolution had a
chance. Then came the local option
election in the little town of Albion,
in Orleans County. This was last
Monday And the vote put Albion on
the map.
Albion has population Of 1888, or
did before her sons went to fight the
A
bany as the home of John Bordwell,
Albions "Torl" Platt and the Beau
Brummell of seven counties. John.
who can go into raptures over the
perch in the Erie Canal, which flows
through the centre of the town, Civ
ing it life when John is away. was
the bearer of the good or evil tdings
as you choosc-to the legislators
Monday night.
Albion Went Dry
"Look," cried John, who is secre-
taly to Senator George +. Thompson,
"Sec!"
This was to any one he could stop
to show telegram announcing that
Albion went dry by 234. And if one
paused a little longer he was told that
| Albion, from the time of the build
+ ing of the Erie Canal, went wet reg
ularly. until the women voted.
"And about 1000 women voted"
said John, "and it was the women who
did the trick. And they're going to
| do it everywhere"
The vote of Albion and the prophc-
sciences of some Of The doubtful leg
islators and they recalled the words
Of Mrs. Ella A. Boolc. president OF
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union of New YORK State. at the
Eearing on the Hill-McNab resolution
a fortnight before.
Said Mrs. Boolc on that occasion ::
I'VE are for prohibition. And want
tc remind the Legislators that there
arc $4,000 in our organization and all
Of US are Old enough to vote
And the Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union is not the only womans
organization fighting for prohibition.
Capture Assembly
When the lIill-McNab resolution came
informally before the Assembly on
Wednesday 81 of the 144 Assem-
bly.nen present voted for full
discussion of the measure on Tues
day. And of those 81 70 were
pledged to the cause of prohibition
This is two more than the required
HuInDcf 1Of auOptlOn IN tnc lower mouse
and before the resolution reaches the
Senate for action next week the "drys'
predict they will have the necessary
twcnty-six votes there to put it through
Following this vote there vas con-
certed attempt to jam through the En-
erson Malone referendum resolution
submitting the question as to how the
Legislature should vote on the Federal
amendment. And the "drys" stigma.
tized the efforts as the eleventh hour
attempt Of the "wcts" to permit the
doubtful" Senator's to dodge the issue
and disowned it, repeating that they
we're for the Hill-McNab resolution
and for no other measure.
There are % votes IN the Senate al
ready pledged to vote for the resolution
in the Senate. All arc Republicans
And the missionary work of the "drys'
from now on will be centred on six New
York City Republican Senator's who
have not joined their upstate col
leagues: Albert Ottinger and Cortland
Nicol!, Of Manhattnn; Alvah w. Bur
lingamc, jr., Robert K. Lawson. Alfret
J. Gilchrist and Charles G. Lockwood
Of Brooklyn. One Of the cty's Repub