Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-12-25
DRY j. S. BILL
PASSED BY HOUSE
Prohibition Amendment Wins 282
to 1923.
WILL HAVE TO GO TO SENATE
Resolution Provides That Amendment
Must Be Ratified by Necessary
Number of States Within
Seven Years.

washington, Dec. 18.-The resolution
to submit to the states a national pro-
hibition amendment to the federal con-
stitution was adopted by the house.
With vote of two-thirds required
for its approval the vote of the house
announced by Speaker Clark was 2S2
to 128, or % more than required.
A wild demonstration took place in
the house. W. ]. Bryan appeared on
the floor and took seat with Repre-
sentative Webb as corecipient of con-
gratulations.
An amendment by Representative
Lea of California, providing that pro-
hibition provisions should not apply to
light wines and beer was rejected by
rising vote of 232 to 107.
What Dry Amendment Provides.
The resolution for a dry amendment
to the federal constitution adopted by
the lower house of congress provides
that the amendment must be ratified
by the necessary number of states
within seven years. The senate already
specifies that it must be ratified within
six years. Only an agreement as to
the number of years now is, necessary
to put the question before the states,
80 states must ratify the amendment.
Twenty-Seven states already are dry.
A motion to concur in the change
will be made in the senate today but
If one member objects action will have
to 90 over until after the holidays.
Hear From "Back Home"
Congressman emerged from under
veritable waves of kilograms from
back home" when they came into the
house chamber to vote. The galleries
were packed with enthusiasts on both
sides of the question who had come
prepared for a field day. There was
much comforting among the generals
on the floor as the debate got under
way, with the time equally divided be-
tween the two sides.
Representative Gard of Ohio, leading
the opposition, declared the amendment
proposed an invasion of the police
power of the states and threatened
the unanimiity of the American people
in winning the war.
Only about half the membership was
on the floor at the converting time,
but the galleries were damned. There
was good deal of sparring over con-
troll of the time for debate, which was
arranged by equal division.
The debate began, amid round of
applause from the Democratic side. by
Chairman Webb of the judiciary COM
mittee.
The great body of Americans he con-
tended want to leave the whole matter
just as it is now.
No Union Label on Whisky.
Representative Cooper of Ohio. for
the amendment, told the house:
"You look into hat band or a coat
to see ii it bears union label, but
you can look in vain into the whisky
bottle for a union label"
Representative Dyer of Missouri, OPP
posing it, declared the issue nothing
more or les than whether congress
shall stand by "Dinwiddie and the An
ti-Saloon league who think more of this
issue of the wet and the dry than they
do Of the issue of whether America
or Germany shall win this great war;"
AS the debate ran on Representative
Barley Of Kentucky, one of the prohi-
bition leaders, claimed that complete
canvass of the state delegations indi-
Gated adoption Of the resolution by a
margin of fifteen votes over the neces-
sary two-thirds.
William J. Bryan passed part Of the
day in the house. Dozens of members
made short speeches, going over the
familiar ground on which champions
Of both sides have fought their battles
in the halls of congress for many years.
The only new argument introduced was
the war issue.