El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-26
ONLY THE EAST is REJECTING
NATION WIDE PROHIBITION

7EXAS has Joined the "dry' procession not day too
soon The Whole United States Is going prohibition
and this state has acted wisely in volunteering
1atAsr than in waiting to be drafted
VII be the OF making the nation dry There
zeme doubts as its reception when it was submitted
the states but its acceptance has been gratifying up to
At this time New York and New Jersey the o1ly
states the legislatures Of which have rejected the federal
amendment and their rejection has been provisional They
passed the buck to the people The lower house Of
he New YORK legislature refused to ray the amendment
declaring by vote Of 81 20 e. that the question should
submitted to popular referendum The New York senate
lacked one vote OF enough TO ray the amendment and
the probability is that the matter VIII be submitted the
popular vote. New jersey has taken the action.
Al other state legislatures which have taken I'd
amendment have ratified It. Texas, Maryland Kentucky
and Delaware among them and there half dozen
the socausd dry states which have had statewide pro-
take early action the national amendment The An
legislature VIII take action upon It when the extra
session conveues this The legislature Of Georgia
VII convene in June and VIII vote the amendment and
The legislatures Of nearly all other states viii be in session
next January so that BY June, 1920 at the latest the issue
should have been decided
Though We have nothing on which to base calculations
action taken IN the states IN which the amendment
has been considered this has been gratifying to make
ratification By the nation seem almost certain This viii
have beer effected when SO Of the 4s states Iay. About
oetird Of the necessary number have already ratified
There IS dry states all Of which be counted upon
ratify the amendment About "wet" states II
addition to those which already have ratified needed
Prohibition leaders counting solid vest north and
northwest with the possible exception Of Wisconsin Of
at least two OF three Of the New England states.
painful fact that the Atlantic seaboard, the Oldest
part country has offered resistance the pro-
hibton movement Perhaps conservatism, Discrimination
change E IN some degree responsible Whatever the
son the and middle west have given the prohibition
movement its national prominence and It VIII be their
strength which VIII push 1t through to national achieve
menr
War sentiment is aiding the prohibition forces ma
terialy People understand that sob5ty strengthens
nation in and realize that Russia, France and Great
Britain attained teir greatest military efforts partly by
reducing alcoholic consumption TO very great degree,
hs Germany and Austria Hungary have done the same
They realize that grain which might make bread should not
make soldiers civilians drunk and that long hquor
holds its p IN the great oenters Of Industry, shpbudng
and uunton making VIII never reach their greatest pos
sbtie Il because Of this efficiency sentiment
the supporters Ct the liquor traffic crying IN those
states IN which the national amendment has been voted
upon to postpone action until after the war believing that
then the emergency VIII have passed and people viii take
more lenent attitude toward the saloon and liquor. But