Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1917 — HOUSE PASSES THE PROHIBITION BILL [ARTICLE]

HOUSE PASSES THE PROHIBITION BILL

52 Republicans and 18 Democrats Vote Aye—Keen Fight" Anticipated In the Senate.

By a vote of 70 to„2BJjheJiPuke, of representatives Thursday passed the Wright bill prohibiting the manufacture, sale, distribution or advertisement of alcoholic beverages and the fight to make Indiana dry was put up to the senate. The vote in the house was accurately forecasted by the drys, who had polled the membership earlier in the week. The decorum of the house was disturbed several times, and during the afternoon routine business was confusing, due to the very large representation of the dry forces of the house, in the galleries, and in fact in every bit of available space. The doorkeepeis finally had to deny admission to lake comers. During the roll call, while several members explained their votes, there was so much noise in the galleries that Speaker Eschbach interrupted proceedings repeatedly to demand order. While Representative Waltz, of Evansville, and Turner, of New Albany, spoke against the bill, there were loud hisses. ' • Fifty-two republicans and eighteen democrats voted for the. .bill, while twelve republicans and sixteen democrats cast their votes against the measure. The measure is now ready for introduction into the senate. The debate on the bill lasted two hours. Representative Cravens, of Madison, democratic floor'leader, upbraided the republicans for their attitude on the liquor question during the session. He declared that the republicans had allied themselves during the last campaign with the Liquor interests. He said the republicans were going to pay two debts. One, owed to the moral interests of the state, he said would be paid by passing in the house. The other, that owed to the liquor interests, would be paid when the bill reached the senate.He predicted that the measure would be killed when it reached the upper house. . _ , Speeches favoring the passage of the bill were made by Representatives Miles, Johnson, Green and Scott.

In the senate, proceedings were enlivened by Senator English on a question of personal privilege making an address to the senate and waiving the right of his committee on constitutional convention revision to consider the bill passed ‘by the house calling for a constitutional convention. Representative W. L. Wood, of Jasper county, cast his vote with the drys in the election.

What the bill provides for: The Wright-Dorrell prohibition bill is backed by the united dry forces in the state. It was presented in the house by Rep. Wright and in the senate by Senator Dorrell. As originally drawn up, the bill provided for the abolishment rof saloons next Sept. 1, but was amended to extend the life of the saloon, provided it passes, until Jan. 1, 1918. The measure would prohibit the sale, manufacture, gift, advertisement or transportation of intoxicating liquor except pure grain alcohol for scientific purposes. Penalty for violation of the law is fixed at from SIOO to SSOO fine and imprisonment of from thirty days to six months. Druggists are permitted to handle intoxicating liquors in quantities of not less than one gallon after obtaining a .permit from the county clerk and giving bond of SI,OOO, They-must then sell liquor only on prescription of a reputable physician and only one sale may be made on each prescription. Druggists must file records of sales which they have made, with the county clerk every «lx months. Provision 1® also made that within ten days after the law goes into force every person must have moved stocks of liquor from the state, unless they have procured a permit. Exemption is made for private use, one gallon of liquor other than beer, and twelve quarts of beer to each person, , \ The bill, If passed by the senate and signed by the governor, will, abolish 8,591 saloons in the state and 160 wholesale liquor dealers. The l»rgest part of these are located in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Terre Haute and Evansville. Liquor concerns naid $1,958,577 in license fees to city, township county and state governments last year.