Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-15
PR0H|B|T|ON|STS
HOLD The fort
AGAINST Wet s
Vote Down Numerous Amend.
ments That Would Cur
tail Effectiveness Of
Dry Law.

gavel and some of the prohibition
leaders applauded every move in
their favor. The galleries, filled
largely with women and anti-liquor
organizations, broke into applause
when members roared disapproval
of 2A per cent beer. When it
seemed the majority was 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
| (dem.) California, in the interest OF
grape growers, who stood to lose
l$l2,O0O000 this year, he said. 1t
provided for the manufacture of
wine containing II per cent alcohol
by weight. A point of order against
it was sustained by the chair.
Jury Determination Fails.
There were other points of order
on other proposals, but the one by
Representative Pell, democrat, New
York, which would put determine
ton of intoxicating qualities of cer'
tain beverages up to jury was
ruled in order, only to be knocked
out on an aye and nay vote, divi-
sion, and again after the call for
tellers and the slow march of men,
bers through the center of the
chamber to be counted. This was
the usual proceedings, the wet"
always being able to muster enough
of their number to support the de-
mand.
When the house got through with
the jury proposal it went after an
amendment by Representative
Longworth of Ohio to strike out the
whole CT the first section of the
wartime enforcement bill, with its
one-half of one per cent of alco-
holic definition. In offering the
amendment Mr.. Longworth 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 a second
job, the house defeated it.
Two minor amendments ran the
blockade, one being passed on a
record vote when the forces split
to such an extent that Chairman
Volstead, of the judiciay commit
tee, leader of the prohibition fight,
was counted with the leaders of
the minority. This was an amend
ment by Representative Benson,
democrat, Maryland, to change the
word liquors" to beverage" 1t
seemed a small matter, some MEM
bers said, but they contended that
it would permit the sale of flavoring
extracts, hair tonics and the like,
against which fight had been made
in committee because of the re-
ported tendency of some folk to
drink them. The vote was Sc to
70, and anti-prohibition forces said
they doubted if the factions would
be that close together again. The
other made a slight change in the
bills wording.
Wilson Often Mentioned.
There were many references to
President Wilson during the de-
bate and several speakers read that
section of his message recommend
ing repeal of the wartime law so
far as it related to manufacture and
sale of light wines and beer.
In lifting his voice for 2N per
cent beer Representative Rainey,
democrat, of Illinois, declared
these were uncertain times, that
people were in a peculiar frame of
mind and that poverty was causing
more misery than alcohol. He
brought a volley of applause from
the "wets" when he expressed the
hope the president would veto the
enforcement bill because of its
drastic provisions.
The feeling between the factions
got so bitter at times that the usual
courtesy of permitting a member
to revise and extend his remarks
was denied. Prohibition members
objected when Representative Re-
Der, 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.
Not Truthful As to Drinking.
Mr.. Reber had intimated in his
speech that some members were
not altogether truthful as to their
drinking habits, declaring that so
far as 2A per cent beer was con-
cerned, he had taken two drinks of
it, hand running and it had no more
effect than so much water. He ad-
ded that he never drank a gallon
of beer in his life, and simply took
this much the other day to see if
it would make him drunk.
Emphatic appeals for modification
of the bills drastic provisions were
made by Representatives Dyer, Igoe
and Gard, democrats, of Ohio, all
members of the judiciary committee.
Mr.. 1goe declared the situation was
the most unusual ever presented to
the house. All other wartime legis-
lation, he said, had been repealed or
had expired, without attempt to ex-
tend it, yet congress was attempting
to assert that the war still existed so
far as the sale of liquor was con-
cerned. A similar argument was ad-
vanced by Mr.. Gard.
Couldn't Keep Order.
The chair was unable at times dur
ing the speech of Mr.. Gallivan to
preserve a semblance OF order, and
the galleries joined in the uproar.
Standing in the center aisle the Mas
sachusetts member waved his arms
Lie n ehase hall nifcher urarrninn III