Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-02-21

Barleycorn, is whether the Phoeb.-5
bill, after being amended, will receive
the support of the Anti-SaloOn League
Lobby, or whether two other bills
shall be offered in its stead and it be
allowed to go to the House morgue
after self-sacrifcingly giving its life
in the cause of legislative advance
ment of the dry banner under a safer
and more completely camouflaged
plan of attack.
These are the present plans of the
anti-saloOn dry forces as outlined to-
day by George w. CTabbe, Superin-
tendent of the Anti-Saloon League.
Mr. Crabbe explained that should
the Phoebus bill be accepted by the
Anti-Saloon League, it would have to
first be amended so as to eliminate
several features embodied in the origi-
nal West Virginia law but later re-
pealed because they were found not to
work satisfactorily. Chief among
these features is the one allowing al
most unlimited quantities of liquor to
be carried into the State, provided
alcoholic content" and the quantity
be plainly marked on the outside OF
the suit case or other container. This
was found to be subject to abuses
which seriously offended the drys of
West Virginia. It is, however, en-
bodied in the draft of the West Vir-
ginia law as introduced by Phoebus.
Another point made by Mr.. Crabbe
and Senator Bennett was that there
will positively be no search and seiZ-
rure law passed for Maryland under
the fostering wing of the Anti-Saloon
League.
If the consultation to be held to-
day results in a determination to
abandon the Phoebus bill, the plan as
No contemplated by the drys is line
| M on the bill which will stringently
tighten the present permission for
limited shipping into already dry ter
ritory. All common carrier ship
ments would be cut out, and the gem
tlemen of the Eastern Shore and the
| other allegedly Sahara-like sections OF
the State would be cut from their
present e-gallon-per-month allow
ance to the scanty point of mere
quart. To get even this wee dram in
TO his home town the ultimate con-
sumner would have to make trip out
into the region of present wetness and
bring his one quart dram in upon
his person. How much additional
| could be toted if carried inside rather
| than ION" the person is not determ-
| ined.
This one-quart allowance would,
however. be automatically knocked in
| the head Of the neutrality-suspicious.
| companion bill were passed This is
simply a bone-dry, no-manufaeturing
no-shipping, no-carrying and nearly
a positive no-slipping law, applicable
TO Baltimore City and all of the wet
sections of the State.
Manifestly uncertain as to their
ability to hold in line all the votes
they mustered for the Federal Amend
ment ratification, the drys are, it is
admitted here, rather keenly playing
safe" by putting only one of their eggs
in one basket and the other in an ad-
| ditional container Then if the LAD
carving the "dry-up-the-present
section" measure stumps his toe anC
tumbles there would still be a chance
to impose absolute thirst upon those
in the dry sections of the State If th'
/ other basket were not dropped.
However. it was made clear by botl
Mr.. Crabbe and Senator Bennett tina
the question of whether the Anti
Saloon forces will amend and theI
fight for the Phoebus bill or put in tn
two additional measures is still TO b.
decided. A count of noses and quie
poll of the House will be made befor
the question is finally settled.