Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-06-25
BARLEYCORN is FACING
HIS LAST BIG
BATTLE
NATION TO Be DRY?
PROHIBITION AMENDMENT IS
PASSED BY HOUSE PROHIBIT
ING THE USE OF ALCOHOL
MAKING FoopsTUrFs - BIG
. FIGHT AHEAD.

MAKING FooDsTuFFs - BIG
FIGHT AHEAD.
Washington, ID. c., June 25.-The
clans gathered here today. The great
est legislative fight in the United
States in generation has developed
into a gigantic pitched battle The
prohibition forces have carried by
storm the front line of trenches Of the
"Wets." Today they were massing
their heaviest artillery for the final
assault, which, if successful, will make
the nation bone dry" And, while
the legislation now under considera-
tion operates only for the period OF
the war, "Wets" and "Drys" alike ad-
nit that it will be years before the
liquor eliment ever could come back.
even it if could come back at all.
The insertion by the House by an
overwhelming vote of the prohibition
amendment into the food control bill
on Saturday was as much a surprise
to the prohibition advocates as 1t was
shock to the VETS
The worst that had been feared
was that the House could give the
president the power to settled the IL
quor question his own way. But when
the drys finally got into the saddle
they rode roughly shod over all Oppo-
sition. Today they have sent word to
all of their big chieftains from VIII
liam J. Bryan down. to Hurry here II
possible and aid in jamming the meas
ure thru the senate 1t is the oppor-
, tunity that has been hoped for, and
, prayed for, ever since John b. Cough
and Neil Dow started the fight for
p nation wide prohibition.
.-sF. S'clsCnneotugrsslF
. The Vets" have also rushed their
re Endorsements into the fight. 1t Is
admitted that a Ghow-down is at hand
The "Drys" have much the advantage
What the VETS can do to head of
the strangling OF the brewing, wine
making and distilling industries OF the
country is hard for them to decide
And every moment lost before the
battle plans are complete is dis
tinct gain to the "Drys."
Heads of brewing, distilling and
wine making corporations, advocates
of moderation, attorneys and men
whose influence may be expected tt
count, are around "button-holing"
senator's with arguments designed Il
, refute those which the "Drys" are
+ giving, And hanging in the balance
4, is one OF the biggest industries il
the nation which will automaticall!
be wiped out if the Senate uphold'
the position taken by the House
+. 1t was not untily today that the full
+ extent Of the legislation, now more
! than half way towards complete en-
actment, was realized by oiflcialdom
Then there came a disposition to con
slider what it all meant. One thinl
that stood out today was that ii tn
prohibition Coniiscatory amendment
remain in the bin when it becomes ;
: law the cost Of revenue will be stag
gering The tax during the next yea
:, on all sorts of liquors will total, 1t i
q estimated, some four hundred millio
! dollars. Then the Barclay amend
ment which permits the President t
seize all liquors in bond, etc, woul
o contscate al least 200000,00o gallon
, of liquors of every sort This WI
have to be paid for and the price vii
o. be staggering.
:, The Senate now must decide whetf
er the benefits to be secured from az
cepting prohibition in this torn
worth the cost
One suspicion that was sanin
T. ground here today was that the form
= er liquor men in dry states were SUI
+. porting the present legislation IN tn
y expectation that bone dry method
~ would cause such a reyusion OF fee
= ing thruout the United States that
II eventually would swing the nauo
y, back into the wet column BW IN
y prohibition leaders declared that The
=" welcomed aid even OF his stripe
~ No one knows the attitude OF u
y President towards this Legislation
but there IS d general heliefsthat
y the Senate passes the bill with II
10 prohibition riders he will sign It, Ff
V battle rs in the Senate and the con
y ing week will see history made thel
j" that may change the entire status
the United States
Just when vote viii be reache
in the Senate Is hard to say The a
re yocates and opponents OF the Dill al
el perfectfng their fighting plans an