The Penn's Grove record., 1919-02-28
FAIL To KILL
DRY Amendment
Jersey Can Ratify Prohibition
Amendment if Enough VETS
Fail to Cast Votes.
BOTH SIDES SHOW INTEREST
Possibility Of Joining the Other 40
States in the Ratification OF the
Prohibition Amendment Arouses
Spirits of the Foes of Booze.

Trenton, Feb. pa move on the
part of the Democrats who desired the
killing of the bill introduced to ratltA
the ''dry" amendment to the constitu.
ton, failed.
After d dinner given by Speaker
Pierson of the house to members OF
the house, senate officers and Cover
nor Edge and newspaper men at the
Trenton House, the assembly did not
get under way until 9 o'clock. All the
Republicans were not in their seats, 50
the Democrats had a conference and
decided to call up the ratification bill,
However. the move was blocked by the
Republicans, who enforced Il recess uH'
ill all their members were in then
seats. 1t was said the Democrats, wifi!
the few Republicans in their seats al
the start of the session could have
killed the ratification bill.
1t has been the conclusion that such
ratification is impossible because the
assembly vote looms 50 strong against
it, but the discovery that Senator
Wells resolution providing for ratiii-
cation could be put across on Il major
ity vote of the members present, pro-
viding there is a quorum, has given
the matter a new and interesting
phase.
The state constitution stipulateS that
all bills and joint resolutions, to be
passed or adopted, shall have a major
ity of the whole senate and whole as
sembly with the yeas and nays duly
recorded. The Wells measure, how
ever, is a resolution, upon
which the constitution is silent, and
such resolutions have been adopted
without a roll call and with Il consider
able number of abSenteeS. 1t is gener-
ally believed that there are enough
votes ready to adopt it in the senate
under any circumstances, but it is a
different story in the assembly.
There, it is said, 43 of the 60 votes
stand strongly and unalterably opposed
TO ratification. These are made up of
the II from Hudson, II from Essex. D
from Passaic, = from Atlantic, 3 from
Middlesex, = from Morris, 3 from Cam
den and l each from Sussex and War
rem. That calculation leaves Il votes
presumably, though not certainly, in
favor of ratification. If, then, all these
Ii were present on a day of the session
when but 16 of the other side were on
hand, adoption Of the resolution would
be possible. OF course it is mere SpeclI-
lation, with scarcely a chance that it
would eve occur, since it is not at all
probable that so many as p of the
members opposed to prohibition would
be absent from any session. Still, it is
discussed, and the foes of booze like to
grab at any little sign of hope.
Both SIDES Become Active.
Much of the session for the assem-
bly, was absorbed in maneuver9 on Old
John. William ]. Bryan, apostle OF
the limpid liquid, is scheduled to open
up on Demon Rum at a hearing before
the Senate Committee on the Wells
ratification resolution. In anticipation
of that occasion the foes of booze ap-
pear to believe an effective lever for
action will be presented and to disarm
them the other side marshaled forces
for action. The Democrats held a long
caucus, in which they tentatively de-
cided to present a resolution declar,
ing the hostility of the house to the
whole ratification proposition.
This action became known to the
Republicans, and Leader Kellam at
Once called his % into a caucus of
their own. Although divided upon the
issue, they decided that it was posi-
lively repugnant, not to say indicate.
thus to place the members on record
in advance of consideration of the
Wells resolution, especially in view of
the possibility that it may reach the
house. This stand was communicated
TO Leader Barrett. who called his Dem
ocratic followers into another caucus,
ut which the situation was discussed
NJ every angle. 1t was after 10 o'clock,
therefore, when the session began ac-
tual business. Then it appeared i'm
possible for the opponents of ratifica-
ton to agree upon Il program and the
contest was declared off temporarily.
Has Fun With Senate.
Assemblyman Cochran of Atlantic
injected a laugh into The house session
by Offering Il resolution d~enouncing the
senate for continuing to maintain a va
cant seat, with the great county of At
lantic unrepresented, and calling upon
the body to get busy, as the dread July
l is fast approaching. The resolution
referred to the vacancy due to the ap-
pointment of Senator Richards to a
captaincy ir the army, which he has
resigned. 1t is rumored thai DIR. Coch-
ran will be a candidate for the Repub-
lican nomination against Captain
Richards.
Assemblyman Greaves Of Hudson of
fered a concurrent resolution calling
upon the peace conference to consider
the freedom Of Ireland and requesting
the President of the United States to
present 1t to the conference. The res
olution was referred to the Committee
on Municipal Corporations. Assembly
man Greaves also offered a resolution
calling upon Congress to pass a law
-, ,uo,s1o civ x,nnthct avfro nav Eos.