Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-20
DRY" REFERENDUM
AGAIN PROPOSED
Resolution in Form Rejected by
Assembly Is Before New
York Senate.
nv tbe Associated Press.

By the AsSOclateQ ffcSs-
Albany, N Y, March 26.-The pro-
posed referendum on the ratfncatlon OIL
the prohibition amendment to the fed-
eral Constitution was revived in the
legislature today when the taxation
committee of the senate voted TO re-
mort the HiII-McNab ratification reso-
luton amended SO as to be virtually
q duplicate of the Machold amend
rnent, consideration of which was In
definitely postponed by the assembly
yesterday.
The assembly late yesterday. by vote
of LID to IS. decided to defer action In
definitely on all pending prohibition
bills. The effect of this procedure, the
leaders explained. is to kill proposals
either to ratify the federal prohtoitory
amendment or to provide for state
wide referendum on the subject unless
one or the other is passed by the Sen
ate. As the latest poll of the upper
house showed only twenty-five pro-
ratification votes when twenty-six are
necessary for passage, the drys were
pessimistic.
Bitter Fight in Assembly.
The assembly fight for indefinite
postponement was bitter. 1t was
waged for nearly five hours before
crowded galleries, and during the de-
ha6 been leading the campaign of the
allied temperance organizations for
ratification, was severely criticised by
A8semblyman McCue. one of the wet
leaders He declared the league was
dishonest, immoral and treacherous"
sought ito browbeat weak and spine
less legislators"
Gov. Whitman also was bitterly as
sailed for his Monday nights message.
= stand on either ratification or refer
endum, was declared by Assembiyman
Welsh of Albany ito be erecting the
most stupendous monument to political
cowardice and stupidity that could be
dreamed Of"
In Defiance of Governors Message.
This action by the taxation committee
was in direct defiance of Gov. Whitmans
message to the assembly Monday night in
which the executive declared that the pro-
posed referendum was evaSiSe and decep-
two and that it had neither warrant nor
6nrce in law.
adoption of the report by the senate
wuuld place prohibition where it was up to
Yesterday afternoon, with the exception
dzkAt the struggle would be transferred
6tpm the assembly to the upper house.
announcement of the committees ac-
ton came as surprise to the dry
forces, who had prepared to make their
light on motion to discharge the tax
2tion committee from further consid-
Grafton of the Hill-McNab resolution
and thus bring the question of ratifi-
eRtton squarely before the senate for
aetion-
Discuss Course of Procedure.
Tho drys held many conferences re-
1Arding their course of procedure. It
vas determined finally that Senator
should deliver a speech he
had prepared for the occasion and
draw the fire of the prohibition oppo-
introducer of the ratification resolu-
ton, planned to move to recommit the
amended resolution back to the COM
mlttee, with instructions to report it
out forthwith in its original form.
The prospects were that the fight
would be waged over Senator Hills
motion
the chances of success on this PROPOSE
ton. A careful canvass of the senate
this afternoon showed that not more
than twenty-three or possibly twenty
nour votes could be depended upon
Twenty-six votes are necessary.
South Dakota Senate Ratiies.
PIERRE, 8. D., March 2o-The South
Dakota senate yesterday, without a
dissenting vote. ratified the federal pro-
htbition constitutional amendment The
measure Is expected to meet with little
opposition in the lower house