The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1913-02-21
States Must Act.
Author of the Auti-Liquor
Law Tells What 1t VIII
Accomplish.

Washington, Feby. 10. The
necessity for proper seizure
laws" in prohibition states, such
as Tennessee, where the Webb
liquor billis expected to make
possible a fuller enforcement of
the prohibition laws, is empha
sized in the following statement
upon this bill, which Senator
Webb today prepared:
THE bill prohibits the ship
ment in interstate commerce of
any liquor which is intended by
any person interested in it to be
used in violation of the law of
the state into which it is shipped.
In other words, this bill con,
forms its prohibition to the laws
of the various states. For in
stance, should North Carolina
pass any person or corporation
from delivering liquor to a min,
or, an habitual drunkard, or to a
person who had Heretofore been
convicted of selling liquor, then
the shipment of whisky to be
delivered to such persons would
be prohibited, and when such
whisky arrived within the state
it could be seized by state au-
thorities and, under proper seiz-
ure laws, could be confscated
Should consignment of liquor
containing five hundred half pint
bottles be delivered to an Office
within our state, addressed to a
known blind tiger, and though
every civil officer should be NOR
ally certain that such whisky
was intended to be used in VIC
lation of the law of the state,
yet under the present condition
of the law no officer could touch
such whisky until after it was
actually delivered to the law
violator. If Mr.. Taft signs my
bill the state authorities can
seize such consignment of liq-
uor before it reaches the blind
tiger and try the liquor, and if
it is found that the liquor is in
tended to be used in violation
of the law of the state, then it
can be confiscated and never al.
lowed to reach the hands of the
blind tiger. In other words, he
bill, if signed by Mr.. Taft, will
take the shackles of interstate
commerce off the various states
in the execution of their police
laws with reference to whisky,
anL will enable the state to con-
troll the entire question as to
them may seem best. Whatev-
er law the state may pass with
reference to whisky, then 1t will
be a violation of the law as con.
tanned in my bill to ship whisky
to be used or sold in violation of
such state laws, and in such case
the state will have authority to
seize this character of liquor and
never let it get into the hands
of the consignees to be received
or disposed of contrary to the
law of the state. 1t is a great
states rights measure, for it re.
fers back to every state the pow
err to control the liquor traffic
within its BORDERS. Whenever
an interstate shipment Of whisky
shall be found by competent
tribunal to be intended to be re-
ceived or used contrary to the
state law. that instant such liz
uor is taken from the legitimate
sphere of interstate commerce,
and in contemplation of the law
never was lawful commerce, and
Immediately becomes subject to
the jurisdiction of the state"
THE WEBB ACT IN FULL.
"Divesting intoxicating liz.
uors of their interstate charac.
ter in certain cases.
BE it enacted by the Senate
and House or Representatives of
the United States of America in
Congress- assembled.