The bill had been amended from time to time, but as it was finally
approved by the Judiciary Committee was a reasonably effective measure.
It provided that on a petition signed by 25 per cent of the electors of
any city, or town, or county, the question of license or no license must
be put on the regular election ballot. If a majority of the electors
voted against the issuing of liquor licenses in any city or town or
township, the governing body could no longer issue saloon licenses.
Outside incorporated cities and towns, the basis of prohibition was made
the township, although the vote was to be taken throughout the county.

After the measure had been returned from the Judiciary Committee of the
Senate, Estudillo fought manfully to have it considered. He finally
succeeded, on March 8th, in having the bill made a special order, that
is to say, he arranged that the Senate should consider it at 8 o'clock
of Thursday, March 11th.

But when Thursday came it developed that Senators Stetson and Boynton
could not be present that evening, and they asked Estudillo to have the
vote on the measure postponed until noon of the next day, Friday. This
Estudillo attempted to do. The thing was done with other bills every
day. Had Wolfe made the request, for example, or even Estudillo on any
other measure than the Local Option bill, the request would have been
granted without thought or comment. But on Wolfe's objection Estudillo's
request was denied. The machine saw its opportunity and succeeded in
having consideration of the bill postponed until the following Monday,
March 15th. This meant the defeat of the bill. Even had it passed the
Senate on that date, filibustering tactics would have defeated it in the
Assembly.