for final passage on February 24th, instead of being voted upon, and
passed or defeated, it was amended.

To amend a bill on third reading exasperates those who are supporting it
as nothing else can. The bill must, when thus amended, be reprinted and
re-engrossed before it can be passed. The delays thus caused very often
result in the defeat of the measure.

But the reprinted and re-engrossed Local Option bill got back to the
Senate on February 26th, and its supporters could think of no other
possible excuse for delaying its passage.

But the machine could, and did. On Senator Wolfe's motion - the reader
will no doubt remember that Senator Wolfe led the fight against the
Direct Primary bill, against the Anti-Gambling bill and against the
effective Stetson Railroad Regulation bill - on Senator Wolfe's motion
the Local Option bill, instead of being put on its final passage, was
sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

At that time, the closing days of February, the Judiciary Committee was
fairly swamped with important measures. The Railroad Regulation bills,
the Initiative Amendment, the measures providing for the simplification
of methods of criminal procedure and other bills of scarcely less
importance were pending before that committee. Prompt action on the
Local Option bill was out of the question. And, although a majority of
the committee favored the passage of the bill, the minority which was
against it took precious good care that no undue haste should attend its
consideration. Estudillo was in constant attendance upon the committee,
but to little purpose. It was not until March 4th that the committee
acted. The action was, of course, recommendation that the bill do pass.