Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1917 — He’ll Vote Dry Despite Threat to Ruin Him. [ARTICLE]

He’ll Vote Dry Despite Threat to Ruin Him.

Indianapolis, Jan.‘2§.— -The story of a state senator who wavered in hik decision as to what he shpuld do when prohibition legislation came before the state senate and how the question. was decided by prayer was revealed at a Sunday religious mass meeting in a theatre , here today. A. H. Godard, secretary of the local Y. M. C. A., chairman at the meeting, said the senator had (been intimidated by the wets, who threatened to bring business ruin if the senator voted for prohibition. He said the senator and his wife prayed- and from the prayer came the resolution by. the senator to vote for prohibition when it comes before the upper house.

Called upon to declare himself, a man arose in the back of the theatre and said he was the senator in question. He said he was the father d three children, with four grandchildren, that he was unable to decide whether he should avoid the prohibition bill by absenting himself from the senate or should vote dry. His business was the only reason he assigned for his wavering stand. “I am E. A. Norman, of Hope, Ind., representing Shelby and Bartholomew counties,” he concluded. Following his speech, the audience, composed of fourteen hundred men, voted to send a report to the state senate to pass the state-wide prohijition bilk ”