Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-03-09
may BAR INTERSTATE
BOOZE" SHIPMENTS
NEXT CONGRESS EXPECTED TO
ACT FURTHER TOWARD Ma
TION!AL PROHIBITION.

National capital observers, basing
their "hunch" on the passage of the
federal bone dry" law, now believe
that the next congress will prohibit
all shipments Of liquor in interstate
commerce, experimenting the Reed
amendment Of the last session which
forbids shipment into dry" states.
When this action has been taken
each of the few remaining wet"
states will manufacture its own sup
ply. This will be so near actual pro-
hibition that it is expected the ginger
now in the campaign for dry"
amendment to the federal constitu-
ton will begin to disappear.
The forbidVng of liquor shipments
in interstate commerce will exactly
meet the Democratic position that
the states themselves, rather than the
national government, should act in
matters involving the rights of citi-
zens. The presidents attitude on
woman suffrage is entirely in line
with this Democratic doctrine of
states rights, and while the picket
ing" of the White House grounds by
the women has been spectacular and
has resulted in a good deal of news
papers publicity, it is noticeable that
it has had no influence upon Wilson.
Halt Is Expected.
The dry" amendment to the con-
stitution will undoubtedly come up
in the next congress, and it would not
do to say that 1t will not pass. The
outlook at this time, however, is that
the legislation referred to above will
be so drastic, and will SO nearly cover
the ground desired as to cause a
slowing down of the nationwide pro-
hibition campaign.
Prohibition has made such won
derful advance in the United States
since the war in Europe began that
a good many people have been Won
dering if the war has had any rela-
ton to it. One explanation has been
recently given of the success of both
prohibition and suffrage campaigns.
and that is the decline in influence of
the German-American vote.
Hitherto in its opposition to both
causes, to the latter because of its
relation to the former, representa-
tives of German traditions of drink
ing without inebriety have had a re-
spectful hearing in the halls of legis-
lation, and often have made convinc-
ing appeals. But since the outbreak
Of the war the support Of this ele-
ment of the population has been
more often a liability than an csset,
and the prejudice, II you will, has re-
acted to the advantage of the prohi-
bitionists and woman suffragists.
Undoubtedly, also, the imminence
of war with Germany, and the exam
pie of the warning countries Of Eu-
rope in enforcing partial or complete
prohibition has had its influence on
this side of the water. The imme-
date prospect. say tho careful observ-
ers, is for the increase rather than
the decrease of prohibition territory
in the United States, as has been
shown in the state legislatures that
are in session this winter.
Congress Majority "Dry."
The dry" states are now repre-
sented by SO senators and 166 repre-
sentatives, or more than a majority
in each house of congress. Other
states and congressional districts
have such a strong prohibition senti-
ment within their borders that they
impress their will upon their repre-
sentatives, as recent votes In the
house and senate indicate.
The 26 states which are now
dry" or which will be dry" in
comparatively short time are: West
Virginia. Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi. Tennessee. Arkansas and
Oklahoma in the South: Kansas Ne