New-York tribune., 1919-01-17

there IN county, despite the ire
nendous financial artillery of the
liquor interests.
In the South tie prohibitionists
found weapons at hand which were not
so readily used in the combats in other
sections of the country; They found
political corruption and showed that
liquor had hand in it; they found the
STRINGS of an industrial awakening
and showed that liquor reduced eff
cheney and production; they found
potential strife between blacks and
whites occasionally erupting in crimes
OF violence by each, and they pointed
TO ilquor as the cause of much of the
trouble and the possible cause of much
more.
Southern States Won
With such weapons and by steady
application 20 their local option tactics,
the prohibitionists won Georgia, Mis-
sissippi, Texas, North and South Caro-
lima, Tennessee, West Virginia, Vir-
glnia and Florida
The World War vas potent ally of
the prohibitionists. 1t brought the ban
on distilleries. which went out of busi-
ness September 7, 1917, in favor OF the
grain elevators. 1t brought extensive
and arid dry zones surrounding every
cantonment and military post. 1t
brought higher liquor licenses which
men out of business in this city alone
last fall. It made Washington, the
capital OF the nation, dy October 81,
la17.
Congress Passes Resolution
Congress passed the resolution sub
nitting the amendment to the various
state legislatures n the midst of the
seething preparations for war in 1917.
The Senate adopted tie resolution Au
gust !. by vote OF 50 20 20, and the
lower House December 7 by 2S2 to 1913.
The Legislature Of Mississippi was
the first 10 ratity. taking tris action
January 8. 1919. Thirteen other states
took similar action during that year.
the last of ITEM being Louisiana,
which ratified Oh August s.
in the fall elections the wet CIR cry
question was paramount in most Of the
remaining states, hut the vote left no
doubt that lie United States was des-
tined 10 be the first great nation to veto
liquor. TIE ban on vodka II Russia
was never comrletely effective, nor did
II Interfere materially with the con-
sumption OF more expensive liquors by
those who could aifort. il. Russian ad
vices HOW state that The RolsAeviki have
restored the vodka traffic
Michig gan. having by state law made
itself dry in 1918, was the first state
to ratify in 1919, the Legislature vot-
ing on the second day of the new year.
From that date TO to-day legislatures
have acted rapidly. Five states ratified
yesterday, bringing the number up to
thirty five. Other legislatures worked
at feverish speed to be the thirty-sixth,
Nal
ing in the lead
Distillers Begin Contest
Meanwhile distillers' committee,
through Levy Mayer, chief of their
counsel, announced that in twenty-five
states the constitutions require refer
cndum vote of citizens in order to
ratify Constitutional amendment.
Mr.. Mayer named these states as fol-
lows:
South Dakota, Oregon, Nevada. Mon
tana. Oklahoma. Maine, Maryland,
Michigan, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona,
New Mexico, California, Ohio, Nevada,
" Washington, North Dakota, Mississippi.
missouri, Kansas, Louisiana and Utah.
Fourteen of the thirty-eight states
which have approved the resolution
have certified their action to the State
Department. A question as to the cf-
fective date of the amendment was
raised when news came that Nebraska,
the thirty sixth state, had voted rati-
lcatlon. by Il statement made yesterday
IN Washington By Senator Sheppard.
OF Texas, author OF the resolution, that
The country would go dry one year from
to- day. Other students of the ques-
tion held that ratification would not be
completed until one year from formal
certification by the thirty-sixth state.