Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1908 — TURN DOWN STATE PROHIBITION. [ARTICLE]

TURN DOWN STATE PROHIBITION.

Republicans Try Unsuccessfully to Dodge It. Indianapolis, Sept. 29. —The Republicans -of the Senate yesterday afternoon killed the Pierson resolution fOT a vote on a constttional amendment establishing State-wide prohibition, but not until after they had clashed with the Democrats and drawn an abundance of oratorical fire. The Republicans sought to kill the resolution in a quiet way; but Senator Slack, Democratic floor leader, succeeded in stirring up an alarm over the death. The last rites were performed in the presence of several ministers. A few members of tbre Prohibition party sought to save the bill, and, failing, mourned the death. Among the ministers who sat by were the Revs. Joshua Stasfield, Morton C. Pearson, George D. Wolfe and Harry B. Hill.

The resolution came from committee with two reports—one by the majority for indefinite postponement on the ground that it was unconstitutional, inasmuch as a constitutional amendment defining the qualifications of voters was already pending, and the other by Senators Slack and Stotsenburg, Democratic members of the committee, for deferred action until an opinion from the Attorney-General as to the constitutionality could be obtained. Wishing to avoid a show-down the Republicans sought to convince Lieutenant-Governor Miller that the minority report was faulty and such leaders as Will R. Wood and Ezra Mattingly made fiery speeches, but the Lieutenant-Governor accepted the report of Slack and Stotserburg and thereby brought the question to direct issue. In the debate that followed, various Republican Senators made speeches. All accused the Democrats of being insincere and guilty of playing politics. This amused-the minority members, who retorted that nothing but politics had been played since the special session began. Senator Roemler, Republican floor leader, charged Slack wished the matter referred to the Attorney-General because he knew that official was out on stump making speeches.

"Do you mean to say,” asked Slack in a pained voice, rising on a point of order, “that the AttorneyGeneral is not at his post of duty?” The laugh that followed drowned the reply of the Senator from Indianapolis. The Democrats insisted that the resolution established better temperance than that urged so vehemently last week by the Republicans and the latter contended that if the "former were sincere in wishing good temperance legislation they would have voted for the county option, which they said was practicable. In the end thirty-three Republicans went on record as being against the minority report and eleven Democrats recorded themselves as being in favor of it. Strange, Republican, voted with the Democrats, and Benz, Democrat, voted with the Republicans. The minority report was rejected by a vote of 34 to 12. The majority report for the indefinite postponement, which meant

instant death for the resolution, was then adopted.