The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-03-22
DRY BILL PASSES
Emergency
CLAUSE Defeated
Voters Rights Guarded State
May Decide Fate OF En-
fOrCement Statute
crabbe Measure Wins BY Poll of 100
To is, But order" Is IL Short of
Three-Fourths Total - Referendum
Promised BY Liberal Leader.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
misunderstanding and humliat-
ing was the defeat of those who have
attempted to override the right of the
voters to referendum, and once again
that privilege was saved from the
proclamation attempted. The House of
Representatives, by overwhelming
majority, enacted the Crabbe prOhibi-
ton bill, but took care to secure to the
electorate the right to vote on the
measure at the polls, Until the citi-
zens have ape Owed or permitted its
maturity by silence, the so-called en-
forcement measure, involving, it Is
contended, the violation of many OF
the rights of person and property sup
posedly guaranteed by the constitu-
ton, it will have no place in the
statute law of Ohio. Whether or not
there will be a referendum still is to
be determined, but it generally is as
sumed that there will be one.
The final vote for the bill was 100 to
16, the opposition being purely per-
functory The vote on the emergency
clause was II to 46, but through
changes it is recorded as SO to 4S. The
Anti-Saloon League, continuing it's
tactics to the end, made showing
even poorer than was expected. The
constitution provides that an emer-
gency clause requires SO votes, and
the advocates mustered IL less than
the number needed Representative G.
G. Crabbe, of Madison county, author
of the bill, shifted to the negative to
preserve the right Of reconsi Iteration,
.sssik Isss s1ally haa iFea lib eafl Essr
early in the day and expects to allow
the House action to stand. He was
Joined in the shift by Copeland, of
Auglaize, who was said to be on the
fence from the outset. The result was
gratifying in many quarters. Friends
of the initiative and referendum re-
ioiced, as did the liberals, and so did
others who had protested against the
many provisions denounced as being
vicious and "autocratic." Last of all,
Senators, who hesitated between coer-
cion and duty, rejoiced, too, that the
House had solved their problem for
them.
The other high light of the debate
was the plea of Minority Leader Ed ].
Hopple to his colleagues to stand by
the cardinal principle Of the Democra-
tic party, the right Of the public to
rule. Fiercely he reminded them of
their duty, and few shirked it. Like
his fellow partisans generally, he sup
ported the bill, Republicans contribut-
ing as many negative votes as Demo
Gratis.
Speaker Carl r. Kimball made little
explanation when the action was chal-
lenged by Federman, of Hamilton
county, but it was stated later that
the prior custom of the House in vot-
ing first on the emergency clause was
wrong. Rev. Mr.. Wykoff said that
representatives would be held to strict
accountability, and that the great goal
of truth and righteousness was to be
attained. The supporters of the refer
endum right of the voters jocularly
said later that if the chaplain's idea
involved the safeguarding of the
referendum his prayer was answered
speedily.