Smyrna times., 1925-04-01
DRASTIC WEER BILL GOES TO
DEFEAT BY WAY OF AMENDMENT
ANTI SALOON LEAGUE SPON-
SORS SUBSTITUTE FOR BILL
Private Homes Can Have as Much
as a Quart, But Hotels, Restaur-
ants and Stores, Not Allowed


By a vote of 10 to 4, the Senate
Thursday afternoon, passed the"Weer'
liquor enforcement bill after it had
been amended to make it lawful for
anyone to have not more than one
quart of spirituous liquor in private
home. The bill as amended was then
sent back to the House, where it orig
mated for concurrence. The bill,
sponsored by the dry forces, which
would make it unlawful for anyone to
have possession of any quantity of
liquor, was introduced in the House
bv Representative Weer, and passed
bv a vote of % to 8. Since its pas
sage by the House the bill has been |
the subject of much cOntrOversy,ma |
of the obiectors to its drastic prOUs- !
ions being citizens of the State who |
believe in uphOlding the provisions of |
the Volstead Amendment to the ma
tional Constitution, but who oppose
the drastic enforcement clauses con-
tanned in the so-called Weer Bill.
The amended bill provides that it
snail De uIlldWlul IOL any BCAnOAA W
have possession of liquor in Delaware,
except that a person may have for
personal use not more than one quart
in his or her home.
| A second amendment, offered by
Senator SimontOn, which would take
from the Weer bill one of its most
Objectionable features, making it
mandatory upon the courts to impose
iail sentence as well as a fine upon
anyone found in possession of liquor,
even for medicinal purposes, was de-
feated by a vote Of II to 4, Senator
Ridgely not voting. Senator Simon
tons amendment would allow the
courts discretion as to the imposition
of a Jail sentence or fine, or both.
The first amendment, which later
was adopted in lieu of the original
bill, has been passed by unanimous
vote, when the second amendment was
offered.
Early Thursday afternoon Senator
Allen, chairman of the committee on
temperance, called the bill up for final
passage, as amended.
Senator Simonton objected, stating
that the chairman of the temperance
committee had told him the bill would
not be called up for final passage
until a date had been set. He moved
that action on the bill be deferred un-
til 2 o'clock Friday afternoon. Sen
ator Allen agreed, explaining that he
believed the Senator from Wilmington
had misunderstood his remarks, in
tended to convey the thought that the
; bill should not be called up until
everybody interested for or against
had been given ample opportunity to
{ lie heard.
, Later, Senator SimontOn asked re-
: consideration of his motion, and the
> bill was called up for final action.
. The original bill, with all its OBJ
q noxious provisions, including Jail SEN
p tences, fines, cOnfiscatOn of automo
biles, search and seizure clauses, wa:
f first read; then the amendment, whicl
q was adopted on motion of Senator
o Allen by unanimous vote.
+ Senator Simonton then offered hi
: amendment, which only changed tn,
i first amendment so as to give tn,
q courts discretion in the matter of i'm
: posing all sentences, fines, or both.
q The introduction of the secOn,
q amendment brought Senator Ridgel.
+ to his feet to deliver an eXcOriatinj
= address against discriminatory liquo
: enforcement laws in general.
p Wasting Lot of Time
Il "We are all getting befuddled," h
Il declared "For the first time in man
10 years we have wasted lot of tim
d trying to pass a bill which would at
tempt to do what we'thought the pas
sage of the Volstead act would do.
eve have attempted to pass a lay
which would make it impossible t
have possession of liquor. l doubt tn
RS advisability of the passage Of any lay
against a person h aving sOmethin
&c that under the laws Of Delaware
- not presumed to be made. | cannC
i, figure out how a person would be abl
- to have a quart Of Intoxicating liquC
!; unless it happens to be of pre-Vo