Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-01-11
Published By request.
National Prohibitory Constitutional
Amendment.


ton and Labor Senator Blair submitted July
O., 1888, report on Senate Resolution No.
| IL, entitled "Joint resolution proposing an
amendment Of the Constitution of the United
States in relation to the manufacture, i'm
portation, expectation, transportation, and
sale Of alcoholic liquors" recommending its
submission to the States to become valid as
part of the Constitution, when ratified by the
legislatures of three-fourths OF the several
States, as provided in the Constitution.
Friends OF the measure are expecting that the
Senate will give it consideration during the
present session. The Committee of the House
of Representatives, TO which n similar reso-
luton was referred, divided on the question,
the majority reporting adversely.
The joint resolution ald Senate report are
in the following words;
"Joint resolution proposing an amend
ment of the Constitution Of the United States
in relation to the manufacture, Importation,
expectation, transportation, and sale OF alco-
holic liquors.
Resoloed by the Senate and House OF Rep
resentatives of the United States of America
in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each
House concurring therein), That the follow
ing amendment 10 the Constitution of the
United States be, and hereby is, proposed TO
the States, to become valid when ratified by
the legislatures of three-tourths of the several
States as provided in the Constitution.
ARTICLE.
Section /. The manufacture importation,
expectation, transportation and sale OF all
alcoholic liquors as a beverage shall be, and
hereby is, forever prohibited in the United
States and in every place subject to their juris-
diclion.
Sec 9 Congress shall enforce this article
by all needful legislation.
In submitting this favorable report upon
the aforesaid joint resolution it is proper to
say that there are members of the committee
who concur in the report recommending the
submission OF the proposed amendment 10 the
States who do not, by such action, indicate
theii approval of the adoption of the amend
ment as II part of the Constitution nor that
they would themselves advocate its ratitica-
ton by the legislatures of the States but in
Difference to the immense mass of petitions tor
this amendment OF the organic law, coming
from the people in all parts of the country,
and believing that an opportunity should be
given to them TO be heard upon the merits oil
their cause in the forum of the States, where
alone it can be heard and decided, the ma
jorty of the committee would deem Il refusal
TO submit the proposed amendment to the
States for consideration analogous TO the de-
NAL OF the right of party to be heard in
court upon question OF private right The
method provided in the Constitution for its
own peaceful amendment would be destroyed
by failure TO submit the proposition for
amendment in cases of grave moment involy-
ing the approva. and prayers OF multitudes of
the people, for where the remedy sought is
admitted to be without the jurisdiction of
the fundamental law, the petition is really
addressed 10 the only triounal which eau Gu
large that jurisdiction. that is to say, TO the
States themselves. Should then, Congress
in such case refuse 10 submit the proposal 10
the States, such refusal would constitute a
substantial denial of the right of petition itself.
The changes in the National Constitution
made Indispensable oy the development OF the
nation can only be peacefully accomplished
by a judicious and liberal exercise of the
power of Congress to propose amendments TO
the States upon the petition of those who de-
sire 10 be heard in the great court OF the peo-
pile exercising their sovereignty through the
States DIS in the formation of the Constitution.
1t is well known that, but for the belief in
the conventions of the States that the oppor-
lunity to amend the Constitution would be
most literally alfoi ded by Congress in
cordance with the forms provided in that in
strument, the original ratification never would
have been obtained. Some of the States rati
fed only because it was firmly believed that,
whatever might be the opinions of Congress
upon the notifications desired by those who
considered the instrument proposed for ratfi-
cation as fatally defective WITHOUT them. The
suggested amendments would Nbe submitted
to the subsequent action OF ~ Safes as a
matter OF course.
While the committee would by no means
justify the submission of lri6ing or uncalled-
for propositions for the consideration of the
States, yet they firmly believe that the perpe-
tuty and peace of the country under the forms
Of constitutional government demand that
there be no captious or arbitrary denial OF the
right of petition for the amendment of the
fundamental law through the forms of Con
gressional submission to the tribunal of the
people in the States.
The agitation for national legislation for
the extirpation OF the traGic in alcoholic poi
| son made and sold to be used as beverage
will never cease to disturb and finally destroy
great political parties until they submit the
question OF the enlargement of national con-
stitniional jurisdiction so MS to include con
troll of the subject.
When this proposed amendment is sub
mitted 10 the action Of the Staiec the subject
will pass in its important features from the
national arena to that of the States until the
fate OF the proposed amendment is decided.
When decided, il adversely to the ratification,
the subject will be eliminated from national
politics, at least for many years
| If on the other hand the proposed amend
ment should he 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 ak big and sharp enough
TO cut off its hydra head
| Then we should have peace.
| But the agitation for the destruction of The
liquor traffic cannot cease until the evils
which it inficts upon mankind are removed
| or the human race is destroyed
| 1t Is useless TO cry peace, peace, when there
is no peace. II is time TO face the subject. -
| Evasion has become almost impossible, and
the effort requires an activity which is 100
exhaustive Tor its long continuance.
Judging from the petitions which have
been presented 10 Congress during the last few
yeats, many % which are representative Of
great bodies and OF communities whose indi-
viduai signatures have not been ootanrd, ii
can hardly re doubted that ut least ten mil
lions of the American people are DESTROYS OF