Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1917 — DRY BILL IS IN THE SENATE TODAY [ARTICLE]

DRY BILL IS IN THE SENATE TODAY

Fate of Measure to Make Indiana a Dry State Will Possibly Be Known by End of Week. This “is to be a very important week in the Indiana legislature. It is thought that the bill to put Indiana in the dry column will be before the upper branch of that body this week. The bill has already nassed the house of representatives with the decisive vote of 70 to 28. Most of the republicans voted for the bill. The democrats divided, 18 voting for the bill and 12 against it. At present the senate stands politically 25 democrats and 24 republicans. While the bill will not be a partisan measure, yet both parties seem to fear the passage of the bill. The Republicans remember the county local option bill and the fate they met the first election after its passage. Politicians seem to feel that the liquor interests never fOl get either their friends nor their enemies. If left to the politicians of the state, the bill will be killed. If the bill passes it will be because the dry element of the state is able and make such a demonstration and bring such a force to bear upon the senators that they will be practically compelled to pass it.

There is no argument needed w convince anyone of the importance of dry legislation. From the standpoint of religion, moral and business, it is as evident that the liquor traffic should be abolished as it is that we should have happy homes, clean men and women and the blessings and not the curses of life. Jasper county is overwhelmingly in favor of this law. The vote would undoubtedly be ten to one in its favor but we will 5 vote against it because our senator, Dwight Kinder, is wet. At this time the drys are claiming 24 votes and the wets seem to have 18 votes. There are, therefore, seven votes that seem doubtful.

It would be a splendid idea for every citizen of this ounty who could to go down to Indianapolis this week and do everything in his power to help the dry forces. If you cannot go send a telegram and if you do not want to send a telegram send a letter. Now is the time to do effective work. That the wets will be on hand and will jar hell to beat this measure in the senate, goes without saying. If the temperance people lose out it will be (because of the fact that time and again the party giving progressive temperance legislation has gone down in defeat at the first election succeeding such enactment. It will be a great blessing to Indiana if this legislature will enact the bill introduced by Representative Wright and passed by the lower house. If it does pass it the temperance people should be loyal to the men who support it. If it fails to pass the senate the fight : s not lost, but will only be deferred. The increase in the ranks of the drys and the consequent ’ecKease in the ranks of the wets will be a great factor in the action of some politicians in reference to this measure. If the temperance forces will 'earn the lesson taught so many, many times by the wets, that of absolute loyalty to their supporters and will hold up the hands of the dry men and their measures then the enactment of real temperance cannot long be delayed.