New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-22
NATIONWIDE DRY
SWEEP PREDICTED
Prohibition Advocate,
Turning Fight to- Cover
Entire Nation
frron ne Tribun, Bnr,sa. !

From Tho ifionfs blfss1.
Washington, Dec. 2l-Prohibit..
for the entire nation, with or vithoo,
the Federal amendment, was pr.Si,,'
ed tonight by dry leaders. followis,
a sweeping victory for the consti.1'
tional amendment in the Senate ind
ciary Committee.
Senator Sheppard, Of Texas, lead.
Of the dry forces in the upper Hov.
predicted that either the Ped.r,
Amendment would be subnittsS
promptly. OF, if dilatory tactics s,r
used by the opponents Of the mes,
ure, a prohibitory tax would be In
posed on beverages containing alcoss
I've could impose a tax o! tl0N
a barrel on beverages containing ales.
bol without any trouble at all" n.
clared Senator Sheppard, "snd We vii
do 90 II the Senators and Repres.s.
tatives who are seeking 70 protect "A,
Iouor traffic DO not come 70 tern,
with great promptness. We hav. 10
doubt about passing the bill to maj.
the District Of Columbia dry, bu. y,
are now looking 20 the nation. Per.
eorallv. I have no doubt that We vii
be able 20 pass the national amend.
ment and submit % 20 the states a.
this session. II Senators voted o.
their actual sentiments, | DO not think
we could muster the necessary TIVE.
thirds votes. but / think many Ser..
tors and members OF the House VA,
arc really wet will join US in sub.
hitting this question 20 the states, Il
sor no other reason than 20 get il On,
OF notifies for the next FIVE or sir
years.
"If the Federal amendment is sub.
mitted. Of course. the prohibition que,.
ton will not be brought up in Congress
for a. least that many years. The 6sh;
will then centre on the states which are
not now dry. Obviously, we have not
enough dry states to ratlfy the amend.
ment at present, and the vets may tas,
the position that they can beat rs b.
having thirteen states reject the
amendment, and not worry about the
fight in Congress.
However, we propose TO worry tie
lives and souls out Of the vets II tisy
do not permit the submission Of the
Federal amendment And il will %
them no good TO fight, for We can reach
the question by tremendous internal
revenue taxes if they prevent our sub
hitting the Federal amendment Their.
il no doubt we, having an ample ma
iority in both houses, could pass a r.ve.
nue. bill taxing all alcoholic beverages
$1,000 a barrel. and / have no doub,
that would result in real prohibition.
This little supertax Of 81 ,000 barre
would make about s. additional quar-
above the presen. price, liquor men say
About welve drinks can be gotten out
Of a quart. they add, cor fourteen 4.
they are little ones" and the tax would
run about 45 cents a drink.
This would make the charge abou.
70 cents, they assert, while II the efee.
were 70 increase the size Of drinks, as
might be natural, it would 90 higher
The Senate Judiciary COMMITTEES, TO
the utter amaZement OF friends and
foes of prohibition alike. voted IS to )
in favor Of the Federal prohibition
amendment. The three Senators in the
committee voting against the amend.
ment were Brsndegee. Of Connecticut;
Culberson, Of Texas; and Reed, Of Mis-.
souri,.
Two members Of the COMMITTEES wer
administrator O'Gorman, Of New
York, who would have voted against
the amendment, and Senator Ashurs',
OF Arizona, who would have voted for
it. So that had both been present the
vote would have stood IA for 4 for the
favorable report.
The date for the vote on the Dis.
trict prohibition bill having been fixed
by unanimous consent agreement for
January 9, debate on this measure was
desultory, and it is probable thet Is
will be laid aside TO permit action o.
other legislation, now that there Is no
doubt about the certainty OF vote.
In the House the leaders are aoso'
lutely confident that the District pro-
hibition bill will pass. and It is not De-
lieved there is much chance OF the
Presidents vetoing it. The House also
has on the calendar, backed up o.
favorable report from its judiciary
Committee. the constitutional amend
ment. and it is regarded as fairly sure
that a vote will be forced on It, whe'n'
err il can attain the necessary two
thirds or not. 1t will surely have ,
substantial majority. in the opinion OF
close observers in Washington.