New-York tribune., 1919-06-19
Lineup Comes When Sena-
tor Phelan Offers Rider
to Lift Ban From Wine
and Beer Until Year 1920
Test Ends Hope of Vets
Only Four Democrats Take
Presidents Advice; New
Workers Support Repeal
By Carter Field
NeW York Tribune
Washington Bureau

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, June 18.-War-time
prohibition won five to one victory to-
day in the Senate on the first rollcall
in either House since President Will
son proposed it's repeal The Senate
voted IS to IL to lay on the table a
motion by Senator Phelan, of Cali
fornia, the ultimate aim of which was
to permit the sale Of light wines and
beer from July to January /.
While technically far from a direc.
vote on wartime prohibition, actually
the rollcall was an accurate register
of sentiment. The vote is taken by
Senator Phelan himself, and by the
vets generally, as a complete demon
stration to President Wilson of the
utter impossibility of Congressional
action repeating wartime prohibition
Senator Phelan Pcssimistic
MIR. Phelan was very pessimistic
about the situation tonight. While hc
believes this action will convince the
President that only by executive &C
tion can wine and beer be sold up to
the date on which the constitutional
amendment goes into effect, he would
not say he expected the President tc
act. He reminded questioners that the
President has said he had no authoritSs
to proclaim rehabilitation ended anc
thereby end wartime prohibition.
Senator Phelan's purpose to-day was
to add a rider to the agricultural ap.
preparation bill which would repea
wartime prohibition on light wines
and beer. 1t was necessary first, be.
fore a direct vote could be taken. tt
suspend the rules.
A motion to suspend the rules re-
quires n two-thirds vote. Therefore
Mr.. Phelan moved to suspend the rules
with the intention of offering this
amendment. Immediately Senate,
Gronna, of North Dakota, moved tc
lay Mr.: Pneian's motion on the table
motion on which debate is not per.
mitted, and the vote was then had.
New Workers Vote "Wet"
The Senator'S who voted to save beel
and wine until January / were: Cal
der and Wadsworth, of New York;
Edge, of New Jersey; France, of Mary
land; Knox, of Pennsylvania, and L.
Toilette, of Wisconsin, Republicans;
King, of Utah; Reed, of Missouri; Phe
Ian, of California, and Williams. Of
Mississippi, Democrats.
So just four Democratic Senator.
voted to heed the Presidents advice
as to the repeal of wartime prohibition
The eleven votes, of course, do mo-
represent the full strength in the
Senate for the repeal of wartime nro
hlbltlon, but every Senator who wa,
absent to-day or who was paired eithe,
for or against the repeal could have
voted to repeal without changing tn,
result. The fifty-fve votes mustered
by the drys represent six more than ,
majority of the entire Senate.
Senator Phelan made a short speecl
before offering his motion, in which h,
said that its adoption would mean tha
the wine growers of the country and tn,
growers of hops would be enabled +,
dispose of this years crop. California
he said, produces SO per cent of the win,
made in this country, and grows abou
85 per cent of the hops.
Pleads for "Poor Man"
"The poor man," he said, "is deprived
of beverages very valuable in case O.
illness, while he is not able to Law in ,
store calculated to last his natural life
thine, as many persons better off tinan
cially have done. There is no law
know Of which forbids the storage O
liquors"
Mr.. Phelan reminded the Senate tina
the President of the United States hat
urged the repeal of wartime prohibition
He then made his motion, but debat,
was at once cut off by Mr.. Gronna'
motion.
Notice was served in the House to-da,
by Representative Randall, of Cali
fornia, the only party Prohibitionist o
that body, that he will seek to ament
the prohibition enforcement act on tn
floor to rescind the authority of tn
President to set aside any provision O
the wartime prohibition law effectiv
July /.
At the same time Representative Gard
of Ohio, offered an amendment to tn
enforcement act in the Judiciary Com
mittee clearly stating the authority o
the President to set aside the pro
visions of that act for the enforcement
of wartime prohibition of wine and bee
when he decided to remove the ban upol