Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-09-12
To BEGIN FIGHT
FOR NATIONWIDE
DRY AMENDMENT
ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE, ORGANIZED
IN 1898, MARSHALLING FORCES
FOR LAST BATTLE WITH THE
LIQUOR INTERESTS.

ATLANTA, ga, september IL
When, in 1893, the Anti-Saloon
League was organized at Oberlin, Ohio,
by Howard H. Russell. there were
states in the United States, North and
South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma,
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont,
that had prohibition. few other
states had within chem more or less
local option territory.
Ae the opening of September 1917, a
quarter Of a century after the organ
ization of the league, there are twenty
six states that either have prohibition
or have taken the necessary legal
steps to obtain it, and all the other
states, save Nevada and New Jersey,
large local option areas, some of them
being almost white Congress has
abolished the liquor traffic in the Dis
trict of Columbia, all national parks
navy yards. training schools for the
navy, war vessels and other national
grounds and properties. The territory
OF Alaska and the Island of Prto Rico
have voted dry.
The bone dry federal law which for
bids shipment of liquor into dry
states and which Furnishes severely
those who use the mails to advertise
liquor in dry territory to send in
liquor orders from such territory is
an achievement of the present year.
In addition. it is now law that the
manufacture of distilled spirits for
beverage purposes shall cease during
the war, and that there shall be no
more importations of expectations in
that period; that the manufacture Of
wine and beer may also be stopped if
the President deems it wise, and that
the liquor now in existence may be
withdrawn from use by being COM
The Senate, by a larger vote than
was necessary, aropted the Sheppard
resolution submitting to the states the
question of complete nationwire pro-
hibition by amendment to the federal
constitution. That same resolution
will come up in the House not later
than the December session. Its set
Element in that body Immediately after
lis disposition by the Senate was pre-
vented by a caucus rule, which pre-
vented the consideration of any except
war measures. Drys contend that the
House will treat the measure even
better than the Senate did.
Following its submission to the
state. according to Anti-Saloon League
leaders, will come the campaign for
its ratification by the necessary thirty
six of the forty-eight states. The
amendment, according TO the terms of
the measure, must be ratified within
six years after its submission, but dry
leaders insist that while no other
amendment has been hampered with
time provision, six years will be ample.
They say that all the dry states will
Immediately ratify, and that the others
will fall in line within the required
sextennial.
Once a state has ratified the amend
ment it cannot repeal that ratification,
but state failing to ratify at one
session of its legislature, may take
VI the amendment at subsequent ses-
sions, and act until it does ratify.
The state now drv or soon to go
dry are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona,
Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana,
Iowa, Mississippi, Michigan.
Montana, Maine, North Dakota, Ne
braska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma,
Oregon, South Dakota. South Caro-
lima. Tennessee, Utah. Virginia Wash
ington, West Virginia.
1t is to these states, of course, that
the League will look for first results
in the matter of ratifying the prohibit
ten amendment. Campaigns to that
end will shortly be held
Then the fight will be taken up in
other states nearly dry or that have
one dry by that time. In the mean
line strenuous camptigns for state
wide prohibition will be staged in all
he states, for it is the announced
of the temperance forces to
20 after the smaller game, too, while
the elephant.
Statewide fights are now in progress
Or are schedule, as follows
Iowa, voted October 18th on consti-
prob .b'tion (dry now by stat
lte;) Ohio, votes Nc' ember 6; New
Mexico votes same date; Florida, Min
lesota, Missouri, Wyoming, Utah, all
voting in November, 1918. utah is
low dry by statute. but will vote on