The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-07-20
THE PROHIBITION AMEND
MENT
Favorably Reported IN the Senate
It's Submission Recommended.

Favorably Reported IN the Senate
Its Submission Recommended.
The proposition to submit to the people
of the several states constitutional amend
ment to prohibit the liquor traffic in the
United States was favorably reported by
Senator Blair from the Committee on Edu-
cation. The proposed amendment reads as
follows:
Sec. The manufacture, importation,
expectation, transportation and sale of all
alcoholic liquors as beverage shall be and
hereby is forever prohibited in the United
States, and in every place subjected TO their
jurisdiction.
Sec. 2. Congress shall enforce this article
by all needful legislation.
The report accompanying the bill says:
at is proper to say that there are members
of the committee who concur in the report
recommending the submission of the pro-
posed amendment to the state, who do not
by such action indicate their approval Of
the adoption of the amendment as part of
the Constitution, nor that they would them
selves advocate its ratification by the legis
latures of the states"
These men are evidently afraid Of the
whiskey power in their "deestrict," and are
hedging in advance.
aaAfter stating that majority of the com
mittee think that refusal to submit the
proposed amendment to the states for ratifi.
cation would be analogous to the denial Of
the right to party to be heard in court
upon question of private right, the report
continues:
"The agitation for national legislation
for the extirpation of the traffic in alcoholic
poison, made and sold to be used as bev-
erage, will never cease to disturb,and finally
to destroy the great political parties until
they submit to the states the question Of
the enlargement of national, constitutional
jurisdiction so as to include control of the
subject. When decided, if adversely to the
ratification, the subject will be eliminated
from national politics, at least for many
years. IF, on the other band, the proposed
amendment should be ratified and become
part of the national law, the chief curse Of
the world would be summoned to the block
of national justice, and die by The hand of
the only power which can WELD an axe big
and sharp enough TO cut off the hydra.head.
Then we shall have peace.
"But agitation for the destruction of the
liquor traffic cannot cease until ssthe evils
which it inhcts upon mankind are removed
or the human race is destroyed. 1t is use
less to cry peace, peace! when there is no
peace.
1t is time 10 face the subject. Evasion
has become almost impossible, and the effort
requires on activity which is too exhaustive
for its long continuance. Judging from the
petitions which have been presented to Con.
gress during the last few years, many of
VIII ich are representative of great bodies and
committees whose individual signatures
have not been obtained, it can hardly be
doubted that at least ten millions of the
American people are DESTROYS of national
legislation for the destruction of poisons-
that is to say, of alcoholic drinks.
"These people represent power of
thought and moral force far greater than
their mere numbers. Whoever expects TO
withstand the shock of their charge will
yet regret that its irresistible power was
not seasonably realized. To deny the petit
TONERS the right to be heard in the states
upon this proposed amendment is 10 sub
vert republican form of government and
the honorable opponents of the measure will
not always refuse its friends that hearing in
court which is the sacred right of every
American, and especially in the matter of a
great nations concern"
The report concludes with an argument
designed toi show that it is impossible for
individual states to suppress the liquor
traffic by the exercise of their police power,
because of the privilege of interstate trans
poitation guaranteed by the Constitution,
and because of the fact that some adjacent
states decline to impose the necessary re-
strictions. The following are some of the
more striking and significant passages in
this part of the report; "This evil runs with
the blood throughout the whole system Of
national life, and nothing but national con-
stitutional treatment will cure it. 1t is not
a local disease. To be sure, there are local
alterations, but they extend all over the
body. 1t has become continent eruption,
which must be medicined from within as
we'll as from without"
mt.o N~f.,,x7 me- Nrno..-