The Ely miner., 1915-04-23
PROHIBITION WILL
Be LEADING ISSUE
sEPuSltcAN AND DEMOCRATIC
LEADERS FRIGHTENED BY
MOVE OF DRYS.
WILL COME BEFORE CONGRESS
Anti-Saioon League Leaders Seek Sub
mission of Constitutional Amend
ment-If Il Fails viii Force
Issue in 1916.

Washington. April 20.-National pro-
oibition viii be leading issue in the
neNt session of congress.
This is the purpose of the political
maneuyering. and clever maneuvering
Il is, OF the National Anti-Saloon
League, which points at the national
campaign in 1916, but which has the
congressional issue in mind.
While the national campaign in 1916
Is not directly aimed at now, the Anti.
Saloon League leaders have il in mind
and if they fail in securing a submis.
sion of constitutional amendment
proposing national prohibition at the
next session of congress, then they
will force the issue in 1916.
Leaders Are Frightened.
This is the sum and substance Of the
campaign which has been arranged by
the dry leaders and which is forecast
In the recent announcements given
out here by the head OF the Anti-Sa.
loon League.
Political leaders in both Republican
and Democratic camps are frightened
and the strategical Importance of the
move made by the drys is not ignored
ar undereStimated.
National leaders have in mind the
Standardization that has followed in
states where the liquor issue has been
allowed to come to the top. They have
seen economic and political questions
aWaried to make place for the social
question OF prohibition in its various
forms; they have noted the demoraliz.
alton of the parties that has followed
and are worried. Neither side would
IKE to see prohibition enter into the
aational campaign just at time when
great business and economic princi
pies are at stake. This the dry forces
recognize. and this is the point they
are making. They have offered rem.
sdy and are now waiting to see wheth.
sr or not it will be adopted.
Drys Offer Remedy.
The remedy is submission of a ma.
uonal prohibition amendment by the
next congress.
The National Anti-Saloon League
has given it out cold they will not sup.
port any candidate for the presidency
who has opposed the passage of the
Webb-kenyon bill relative to the in.
terState shipment of liquor and that
they viii not support any one who voted
against the submission of a dry con.
stitutional amendment In the last con.
gress.
They point out they had a majority
In the last congress for the dry amend |
ment and expect to have greater sup |
port for it next time.
In the last congress the vote on the |
question of submission of a consti. |
ntional amendment was ayes 1877 to
nays lSS. There were ten members
paired for and five against the vote.
In other words there were 2O7 and
l91 against, with "a not voting, a clear /
majority for. But the submission of a
constitutional amendment requires a
two-thirds vote, and this the drys did
10. have.
knowing the fear which the political 1
managers have of the invasion of the
prohibition question into the realm of
national presidential politics, the drys
tacucally say, if YOU give us the con-
sututional amendment we viii devote
our time TO having il ratified by the
required number of states, but other
wise the question becomes q national
issue which cannot be lodged.