Evening star., 1933-02-20
DRY LAW REPEAL
! EVOTED BY HOUSE
Blaine Resolution Is Passed,
289 to 121, After
Quick Action.
Continued From First Page.)

and applause on the floor and in tn,
galleries.
Immediately Representative Sumner
Of Texas, chairman of the House Judi
fiary Committee, introduced a bill
seeking to set up the machinery foI
the election of the State constitutions
conventions contemplated by the amend
Hent which has now been submitted
TO the States.
This bill follows the general line.
of the law governing presidential elec-
tors, their election preceding the re-
suit and certif1cation of their election
Under the terms of the bill, the number
of delegates to the State convention.
would be the same in each State a,
the number of electors in each State
They would be voted for by ballot al
the usual voting places. The election
would generally be governed by the
Rws OF the States as is the election
Of presidential electors.
Declared Familiar Method.
Mr.. Summers selected the plan Of
presidential electors because it is adapt.
able and the country is familiar with
its operation. Under that law, hi
said, there is in practice no conflict
between Federal and State authorities
delegates would have the power tc
oct independently, just as electors have
under the Constitution, such delegates
would be governed by the will of the
voters just as presidential electors are
In the practical working out the pro-
cedure under the Summers bill, it seems
probable that there would be pre-
Nminary meeting Of wet and dry
leaders where slate would be agreed
Upon, much as happens in party con-
Nention. Mr.. Summers said that his
bill merely was a tentative proposal
His bill provides that delegates to the
State conventions shall be elected al
large. The day has not yet been set
Sut Is left blank. However, Mr.. Sum-
Aerx would have the election in 1898
She Governors of States, however. are
authorized to designate other times
ebr the election if they see fit.
The Summers plan will be hotly con-
tested before it is adopted, however
During the consideration in the Senate
OF the repeal resolution, the question
was raised whether Congress itself could
provide for these State constitutional
conventions or make arrangements for
them. Many of the Senators took the
position that this could not be done
under the Constitution, among them
Senator Walsh of Montana, who is ex-
pected to be the Attorney General In
the Roosevelt administration.
Chamber Packed.
The floor, of the House was crowd
ed with members, and the galleries
were packed soon after that body met
at noon.
Speaker Garner recognized Repre-
sentative Rainey the Democratic floor
leader, to make the motion to suspend
the rules and adopt the Blaine repeal
resolution
Representative Blanton of Texas, a
die-hard dry, leaped to his feet to make
the point that no quorum was present.
A roar of laughter from the members
greeted this suggestion, since it was
clearly evident that many more than
q quorum were in their seats. The
Speaker, however, counted the men,
bers and said that 291 were present
q quorum.
Il move that the House suspend the
rules and adopt the Senate's repeal reso-
!ution," said Mr.. Rainey.
Rainey Loses Point.
Representative Rainey said:
Il am not going to discuss this reso-
luton except to quote from speech
VI,
from Texas, on July 3d."
Representative Rankin of Mississippi,
q dry, was on his feet immediately,
making point of order that no mem
Der of the House could quote from the
Senate proceedings or refer to the re-
marks made by Senator in the Senate
He insisted Mr. Rainey was not en-
titled to read the statement by SEN
ator Sheppard.
Speaker Garner sustained the point
of order
The Sheppard speech, it is under
stood, had strongly urged the right of
the people to have the eighteenth
amendment originally submitted to
them and had declared that even If
he were a wet he would vote to sub
init the question to the people. Sen
ator Sheppard was the author of the
eighteenth amendment.
States Position.
Mr. Rainey, unable to quote Mr..
Sheppard, said: Il will merely say for
myself that would vote to submit any
amendment to the Constitution to the
people. I have always voted to submit
constitutional amendments since have
been in this body"
Representative Nelson of Maine, a
O1y, Ndo Ille llSAt SptdhtI. ne Sdlu
that the first prohibitory law had been
proposed in his State 81 years ago and
that he had always been in favor OF
prohibition.
Unless some definite assurance is
given against the return of the saloon,
Mr.. Nelson said, no member of this
House will live to see the eighteenth
amendment repealed"
There was loud applause from the
drys.
The great danger" continued Mr.
Nelson. "is that there may be break
down of the enforcement Of prohibition
in this country and great lawlessness
during the period this proposed repeal
amendment is pending
Drys Issue Challenge.
At the Office of the Anti-Saloon
League across from the Capitol, mean
while, Edward B. Dumford, league
counsel, in statement said:
The wet prohibition repeal pro-
gram will be fought to a finish at the
State capitals, before the people in the
election of delegates, and in legal pro-
ceedings, if necessary
The issue, joined in the election OF
delegates to a convention without re-
gard to party affiliation or personah-
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