The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-07-14
NATIONAL PROHIBITION.
Favorable Report ON Proposed Amen.
ment to the Constitutinu

Favorable Report IA Proposed Amend
nent to the Constitutinn
WASHINGTON, j lly 9.-The propo ,ition
+" submit to the people of the several
States constitutional amendment to
prohibit the liquor traffic il the United
States was favurably reported by Senator
b! ,ir today from the committee Oh cdu
cation.
The propose amendment reads as fol-
lows: Section |. The Manufacture, im
portatiou, expectation transportation aud
sale of all alcoholic liquors as beverage
shall be and hereby is forever prohibited
in the United States and in every place
s..bject to their jurisdiction. Section 3
Congress shall enlOI ce this article by all
nerdful Legislation.
The report accompanying the bill sa, S:
1T is proper to say that there are mem
bers OF the committee who concur in the
report recommending the submission of
the proposed amendment to the s ates
who do not bv such action indicate their
approval of the adoption of the amend
ment as part of the constitution, nor
that they would themselves advocate it's
ratification by the Legislatures of the
States -
Alter stating that a majority of the
committee think that refusal to submit
the proposed amendment to the States
for ratification would be analogous to the
denial OF the right of 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 beverage, will never
cease to disturb and finally to destroy the
great political parties until they submit
to the States the question of the enlarge
ment of national constitutional jurisdlc
ton so as to include control of the sub
ject. When decided, if adversely to the
ratification, the subject will be eliminated
from national politics at least for many
years. If, on the other hand, the pro
posed amendment should be ratified and
become part of the national law, the
chief curse of the world would be sum-
moned 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 its hydra head. Then
we shall have peace.
But agitation for the destruction of
the liquor traffic cannot cease until the
evils which it iutiicts upon mankind are
removed or the human race is destroyed
~ 10 uoOiOoo W. Siy pCdCC, pcdC6, WuSu
there is no peace. 1t is time to face the
subject. Evasion has become almost i'm.
possible, aud the effort requires an activ-
ity which is too exhaustive for it's long
continuance. Judging from the petitions
which have been presented to Congress
during the last few years, many of which
are representative of great bodies and
communities 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 a power of
thought and moral force far greater
than their mere numbers Whoever ex-
poets to withstand the shock of their
charge will yet regret that it's irresistible
power was not seasOnably realized To
deny the petitioners the rig hit to be heard
IN the States upon this proposed amend.
ment is to subvert u Republican form of
government, and the honorable opponents
of the measure will not always refuse it's
friends that hearing in court which is
the sacred right OF Americans, and espe
cially in matter of great national
concern"
The report concludes with an argument
designed to show that 1t is impossible for
individual States TO suppress the liquor
traffic by the exercise of their police
power because of the privilege of inter,
state transportation guaranteed by the
constitution, and because OF the fact that |
some adjacent States decline to impose
the necessary restrictions. The follow
ing are some of the more striking pas |
sagss in this part of the report: This |
evil runs with rhe blood throughout the
whole system of national life, and moth
ing but national constitutional 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 a continent eruption, which must |
be medicned from within as we'll as
without"