Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 146, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1917 — BONE DRY RIDER LOSES [ARTICLE]

BONE DRY RIDER LOSES

BONE DRY BILL DEFEATED 52 TO 34—WHISKEY HANDED JOLT—BEER ESCAPES. i Washington, July 6.—At the close of a day of turbulent debate, and after voting 52 to 34 against the socalled “bone dry” amendment, the senate tonight recessed until tomorrow in the midst of the prohibition fight on the food control bill. Defeat of the “bone dry” prohibition proposal insures that legislation prohibiting the manufacture of intoxicants will be limited to distilled beverages. Whether consumption as well as manufacture of distilled spirits shall cease during the war, a new element injected into the contest at the eleventh hour, completely disrupted leaders’ well laid plans and caused the recess for conference on a compromise. After roll calls showing a consid r erable majority against stopping manufacture of beer and wines or giving the president power to suspend their manufacture, the senate voted 68 to 10 to prohibit the importation of distilled beverages and then, by a vote of 45 to 40, tentatively adopted a provision prohibiting withdrawal of distilled spirits now held in bond for beverage purposes.

Both provisions though voted on separately, are contained in an amendment by Senator Cummins, added to the so-called “administration compromise” substitute of Senator Robinson, of Arkansas, prohibiting only manufacture of distilled beverages. The substitute was offered for the clause as drafted by the agriculture committee, which would place the question of beer and wine manufacture in the hands of the president. Many senators who had planned to vote for the Robinson substitute expressed their disapproval of the Cummins amendment, which they declared proposed virtual confiscation of 220,00.0,000 gallons of distilled beverage in bond without conserving any grain. They pointed out that the government would lose next year between $250,000,000 and $300,000,000 in taxes and asserted that banks with loans upon distilled spirits might be put out of business.

The prohibition forces, however, were openly elated over the possibility of stpoping consumption as well as manufacture of whiskey and other “hard” beverages. Tomorrow 'the fight will center on an effort to eliminate the Cummins amendment upon reconsideration or by compromise. Pending when the senate recessed tonight was a proposed compromise amendment by Senator Reed which would authorize the president to permit withdrawal of distilled spirits from the bonded warehouses if he believes it is in the public interest. Upon disposition of the prohibition section the senate leaders expect to reach an agreement for a final vote upon the food bill as a whole next Wednesday or Thursday. The senate spent the entire day in fervent oratory, and roll calls on numerous proposals. Friends of prohibition used most of the time in debate, field under the agreement limiting each senator’s time, in a vain effort to secure a “bone dry” provision. Both of the Indiana senators voted against the “bone dry” amendment offered by Senator Myers, of Montana, providing for the prohibition of beer and wines. At a roll call on the amendment offered by Senator Cummins which provided that “no alcoholized beverages shall be imported into the United States during the existing war,” both of the Indiana senators voted “no.” On the amendment offered by Senator Cummings providing that “no part of the distilled spirits now in bond in the United States shall be withdrawn during the war to be used as a beverage,” both of the Indiana senators voted in the affirmaitve.