The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-03-01
"BONE DRY" PROHIBITION.
REED AMENDMENT TO POSTOF'
FICE BILL PASSES.
IrOn.clad Barrier is Raised Against
importation of Liquor Into Pro-
hibitiOn States.

est forward stride in the nations his
tory today when the house, after two
hours of uproarious debate, approved
by four to one majority senate
measure which would raise an iron
clad barrier against importation OF
liquor into prohibition States. 1t is
expected to receive the approval Of
President Wilson within week. add
ing Immediately to the bone dry
territory about one-third of CONT
mental United States.
The provision is regarded as the
most far-reaching that could be en-
acted by the federal government and
as sweeping as would be possible un-
der any method short of national
prohibition amendment 1t would
cut off entirely liquor importations,
amounting now to millions of dollars
annually, into the large number of
States which have forbidden manu-
facture or sale but have permitted
importation for personal use.
Noisy Demonstration.
Advocates of prohibition divided
among themselves over the expedi-
ency of the step, some friends Of the
cause declaring so drastic law
would have a reactiona;ry effect. In
the same way those who have op-
posed prohibition were not unani-
nous in opposition when the vote
was taken. The roll call brought
cheers and cries of ''bone dry from
all parts of the house, however, and
the result was greeted with noisy
demonstration.
The vote as officially announced
was 321 to y, but a recheck of the
roll changed it to $40 to 72. Party
lines were completely broken down
and numerous representative from
prohibition States were recorded in
the negative So large vote seldom
is recorded on any measure.
Bars Liquor Advertisements.
A provision barring liquor adver-
tisements from the mails in States
that prohibit such advertising is in
cluded in the measure, which came
before the house as rider to the an
nual postofiice appropriation bill, in
serted by the senate last week on
motion of Senator Reed by vote Of
55 to II. Although the appropria-
tion bill will go to conference be-
cause the house disagreed to other
senate amendments, there is little
possibility that the prohibition
amendment, concurred in without
change, will be altered. Members of
congress are taking it for granted
that President Wilson will approve
it.
Although some members have CIV
en- it as their opinions that the legis-
lative features added to the postal
bill would not be effective until July
/, the effective date of the appropria-
tions it carries, senators and repre-
sentatives who are considered author
tiles, said tonight that all the legis-
lative riders, including the Reed
prohibition amendment, would un-
doubtedly become operative as soon
as the president has signed the meas
ure.
Dry Advocates Jubilant.
The dry advoc were jubilant
tonight Representative Webb, of
North Carolina, father of the resolu-
tion for national prohibition
amendment, declared the overwhelm-
ing Affirmative vote had killed the
States rights argument and that the
national amendment, already report
ed favorably, certainly would pass
the house at this session. The
national legislative committee of the
anti-saloon league issued state
ment saying today's action had
''cleared the decks" for a national
amendment
Many of the wet advocates in con-
gress, particularly those with brew
ers among their constituents, also
declared themselves much pleased
with the outcome. The brewers are
understood to have been in favor of
the provision, both because it would
curtail the so-called mail order busi-
ness, carried on by houses dealing in
spirituous liquors and because it
might prevent States now wet from
going dry and Indefinitely postpone
nationwide prohibition.
{ Whiskey Men Opposed.
! Distillers and whiskey dealers, on
the other hand, were vigorously op-
posed to the proposal. There are at
this time Renresentatiye Sherley. of