Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-15
WAR BEER


leaders applau0eQ every move III
their favor. The galleries. filed
largely with women and officers Of
anti-liquor organizations, broke into
applause when the House roared Its
disapproval of two and three-quar-
tiers per cent beer.
And then. when it seemed that the
majority were weary Of voting down
every proposal by the other side,
points Of order were raised and
some motions designed to make the
law less drastic were picked up by
the nape of the neck" as members
expressed it. and bodily thrown out.
This happened to an amendment by
Representative Lea, in the interest
of grape growers, who stood to lose
twelve million dollars this year, he
said. It provided for the manufac-
ture of wine containing eleven per
cent alcohol by weight A point of
order against it was sustained by
the chair.
There were other points Of order on
other proposals. but the one by Rep
resentative Pell, Democrat, New
York, which would put determmina-
ton of intoxicating qualities. Of GER
tan beverages up to a jury was ruled
in order, only to be knocked out OH
an aye and nay vote division, and
again after the call for tellers and
the slow march Of members through
the center aisle of the chamber to be
counted. This was the usual proceed
ing. the "wets" always being able to
muster enough Of their numbers to
support the demand.
When the House got through with
the jury proposal it went after an
amendment by Representative Long
worth Of Ohio, to strike out the whole
Of the first section Of the wartime
enforcement bill, with its one-half Of
1 per cent alcoholic definition. In
offering the amendment, Mr.. Long,
worth frankly TOLD the House that if
it got by he would move to strike out
the whole wartime title, SO, like a
man who wanted to save himself q
second job, the House defeated 1t.
Two minor amendments ran the
blockade, one being passed on a rec
ord vote when the forces split to
such an extent that Chairman Vol
stead of the judiciary committee,
leader OF the prohibition fight, was
counted with leaders of the minority.
This was an amendment by Repre-
sentative Benson. Demmocrat, Of
Maryland, to change the word I'll
quors' to beverages" 1t seemed a
small matter. some members said,
but they commended that it would
permit the sale of flavoring extracts
hair tonic and the like, against which
fight had been in committee be-
cause of the reported tendency Of
some folks to drink them. The vote
was 20 to IS. and anti-prohibition
FORCES said tonight they doubted If
the factions would be that close to-
gether again. The other amendment
made slight change in the bills
wording.
There were MANY references to
President Wilson during the debate.
and several speakers read that Sec
ton of his message recommending re-
peal or the wartime measure so far
as related to the manufacture and
sale OF light wines and beer.
IN lifting his voice for two and
'hree-quarters per cent beer, Repre-
sentative Rainey, Democrat, Illinois.
| declared that these were uncertain
tunes, that the people were in a De-
cullar frame OF mind and that power
" was causing more misery than al
cohoi. He brought a volley Of an.
plause from the "wets" when he er.
pressed the hope that the President
"ouio Veto the enforcement bill be-
cause OF its drastic provisions.
Inc Keeling between the factions
got SO bitter at times that the usua,
courtesy Of permitting a member TO
revise and extend his remarks was
denied. Prohibition members oh
lected when Representative Reber
Republican. Pennsylvania. who had
made a strong plea for beer, wanted
to add something he was deprived Of
saying in his limited allotment Of
time. Mr.. Reber intimated in his
speech that some members were not
altogether truthful as to their drink
ing habits. declaring that SO far as
2 ga per cent beer was concerned
he had taken two drinks of 1t, hand
running, and 1t had not affected him
more than so much water, He add
ed that he never drank a gallon of
beer in his life and simply took this
much the other day to see II It would
make him drunk,
Emphatic appeals for modification
OF the bills drastic provisions were
made by Representatives Dyer, Igoe
and Gard. Democrats. all members
OF the Judiciary Committee. Mr..
lgoe declared that the situation was
the most unusual ever presented to
the House. All other war time leg
islation, he said, had been repealed
or had expired without attempt to
extend 1t, yet Congress was attempt
ing to assert that the war still ex-
listed so far as the sale Of liquor was
concerned. A similar argument was
advanced by Mr.. Gard, who de-
clared that only today the House had
tried to override the President in
the effort to defeat daylight saving.
wartime measure, yet prohibition
leaders would not give the House a.
chance to vote for the repeal Of
another war time law which was
passed, he added, in a moment Of
hysteria.
The chair was unable at times dur
ing the speech to Mr.. Gallivan to
preserve a semblance of order. and
the galleries Joined in the uproar.
Standing in the center of the aisle
the Massachusetts, member waved
his arms like a baseball pitcher
warming up for game and shouted: