Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-05-15
rHE xYrrH aMENDMFxr.
SENATOR BIair on Nationat Constitutional
Prohibition.

On April 26 Senator Blair in the
United States Senate, called up for con-
sisleration Senate Resolution No. 6, pro-
posing an Amendment to the Federal
Constitution n relation to alcoholic
liquors and other poisonous beverages.
The resolution. as introduced, is as
follows:
"REsoLvED, ~ the Senate and House
of RepresentdttUeS k5 The United States OF
4nlerica IN G,agreSs assembled, (t,oo-
thirds 0f each House coRcurriRg ftereta,)
That the following Amendment to the
Constitution be, and hereby is, proposed
to the States, to become valid when rat
fled by the Legislatures. three f0urths
of the several States, as provided IN the
SECTION 1. From and after theyear
of our Lord 1900 the manufacture and
sale of distilled Alcoholic Intoxicating
liquors, or alcoholic liquors any part OF
which is obtained by distillation-or pro-
cess equivalent thereto, or any intoxlca-
ting liquors mixed or adulterated with
ardent spirits or with any poison what
ever. except for medicinal. mechanical.
chemical, and scientific purposes, and
for use in the arts, anywhere within the
United States and the Territories there
Of. shall cease; and the importation OF
such liquors from foreign States and
countries to the United States and Ter
ritories. and the expectation OF such
liquors from, and the transportation
thereof within and through any part OF
this country, except Tor the use and pur-
poses aforesaid, shall be. and hereby are
forever thereafter prohibited.
SECTION , Nothing in this Article
shall be construed to waive or abridge
any existing power Of Congress, nor the
right, which is hereby recognized, Ofthe
people of any State or Territory to enact
laws to prevent the increase and for the
suppression Of regulation OF the manu-
facture. sale, and use Of liquors, and the
ingredients thereof, any part OF which
is alcoholic, Intoxicating or poisonous,
within its own limits, and for the ex-
clusion of such liquors and ingredients
therefrom at any time, as we'll before rs
after the close of the year of our Lord
1900; but until then; and until ID years
after the ratification hereof as provided
In the next Section. no State or Ierrlte-
ry shall interfere with the transporta-
ton of said liquor or ingredients in
packages safely secured, over the usual
lines Of traffic, to other States and Ter
ritories wherein the manufacture, sale,
and use thereof for other purposes and
use than those excepted in the first
Section shall be lawful: ProUidcd, That
the true destination of such packages be
plainly marked thereon.
"'SECTION 3. Should this Article
not be ratified by three-fourths Of the
States on or before the the last day Of
December, 1890, then the first Section
hereof shall take effect and be in force
at the expiration OF 10 years from such
ratification; and the assent of any State
to this Article shall not be rescinded or
reversed.
"'SECTIoN 4. Congress shall enforce
this Article by all needfullegislation.
Senator Blair made an exhaustive ar
gument in favor of the resolution. lie
first explained that the Amendment, i
adopted, would impose national Pro
hibition of distilled liquors, but not o.
fermented or vinous liquors -neverthe-
less. under the second Section, the
amendment would confer upon the
States (now fettered by the national
Constitution, which gives protection to
alcohol in all forms), all the powers o.
independent nations for expulsion
seizure and destruction of fermented
and yinous liquors as well. The Sena-
tor thought that this is as far as nation
al legislation need 60 at present, since
many believe that the States in theil
own capacity will be competent to deal
with the question of further Prohibi.
tion if only the national Government
gives them authority. SHOULD this be-
lief" he added, prove to be i'll founded
by experience, still further restriction
will be imposed by the people"
Continuing, he said that his PROPOSE
tion had been pending in Congress since
1876, when, he as a member of thu
House of Representatives had favored
it. He then gave very explicitly tn,
reasons in law justifying legislation re-
stricting the liquor traffic, after which
in most graphic manner, he pictured
the moral, social and economic woes re
sulting from dram selling. He dwell
upon the truth, that, though there doe
not Seem to have been a reduction o
the quantity of liquor consumed pc
capita, the first century of the Temper
ance reform has thoroughly revolution
lied the attitude of "all the great con
seryative and preservative forces of so
ciety'' toward the liquor business ant
| liquor drinking, SO that now the Chris
tian minestry, protestant and Catholic
is almost a unit against rum; the medi-
cal profession is against rum; the judi,
ciary is against rum; science, religion
J the learned professions as a whole