New-York tribune., 1920-04-19
Dry Decision
Hoped for in
Albany To-day
If Vets Win in the U. S.
Supreme Court, $50 Beer
Bill Will Be Rushed
Through the Legislature
Extra Session Is Feared
Governor Sure to Convene
Lawmakers if the Ruling
Comes After Session Close
From a STAFF Correspondent


ALBANY, April 1s.-Legislators to.
night are praying that the United
States Supreme Court, which resumes
its sittings tomorrow, hands down g
decision in the suits brought by Rhode
Island, New Jersey and other states tc
Eighteenth Amendment and the Vol
stead Act and also if states have con-
current power with Congress to define
an intoxicating liquor.
If the decision should be as the
believed. will Immediately pass the
Walker Gillett $50 beer bill.
But regardless of the decision Of the
court there are some vets in the
Legislature who are for trying to put
through 9Abeer bill and, should the de-
cision be unfavorable, an attempt will
be made to discharge the Assembly
Rules Committee from further consid-
Grafton of the Walker Gillett bill.
Colonel Ransom H. Gillett, sponsor
= for the beer bill in the Assembly, de-
clares that if the United States Su-
preme Court does not hand down a de-
cision tomorrow he will insist on a
showdown and move for the discharge
of the Rules Committee
Both vets and drys are hoping fer
vently for a decision tomorrow, as it
is believed by all that should the de-
clsion be handed down after the Legis-
lature adjourns, next Saturday, and the
United States Supreme Court decides
in favor of Rhode Island and the other
states, who hold they have concurrent
mine what an intoxicating beverage is,
Governor Smith will call an extra ses-
sion of the Legislature.
One of the first acts of the Senate
tomorrow night-unless there is a
further delay-will be the considera-
tion of the resolution adopted by the
Assembly last week, certifying that it
was not on a drunk on Mark A. Daly's
li4uor the night it ousted the Social
lists. In this resolution the Assembly,
in addition to insisting that it was
sober although it did not deny Senator
George f. Thompson's charges speci-
fically, requested that the allegations
against Daily and the Assembly be ex-
plunged from the record.
There will be an attempt made to
pass the minimum wage and eight
hour-day bills in the Senate, but what
ever the upper house may do on these
measures they are certain to remain
N the Assembly Rules Committee, as
oOtu MARX "A. Ddly ana speaker SWecC
are openly against them.
One measure certain to be passed is
the bill providing for a direct tax of
| Il mills to meets teachers salary in
creases.
Two others scheduled for passage are
the Fearon bill, introduced at the re-
quest of Speaker Sweet, which is aime
II legislatng the Socialist party out of
existence, together with all Socialists
now in Office, and another prohibiting
Socialists from ever holding any public
Office.
A report of the Bar Association on
these two bills, which reached here
tonight and which will be in the hands
OF every legislator tomorrow, charac-
terizes these bills as Unconstitutional
and points out that under their provi-
sions citizens might be denied the right
of the ballot and prohibited from
holding public Office if their religious,
economic or social beliefs did not ac-
cord with those of a majority of the
members of the Appellate Division,
which is made the sole arbiter under
the terms of the measures
The report points out that the in
iquities of the bills are manifold and
are intended to bind, gag and restrict
citizens of this state from exercising
their constitutional rights and advo-
eating at the ballot box the principles
doctrines, or policies in which they
believe.