The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-11-01
Enforcement Law Passed Over
Presidents Veto By Ma
jority Of Eight
CONGRESS FOR ANY
THING AGAINST LIQUOR
Law Makers No Longer Fear the
Liquor Trust But Heed Anti
Saloon League

Washington, Oct. 2S.-The senate
passed the prohibition enforcement
act over the presidents veto, today
and made immediate effective ma
chinery for preventing sale of bever-
ages containing more than one-half
Of l per cent alcohol.
The vote was 65 to 20, or eight
more than the necessary two-thirds
majority. While there was wrangle
over taking up the measure in place
Of the peace treaty, which had the
right of way, there never was doubt
as to how the senate stood. 1t was
overwhelmingly dry like the house,
which repassed the bill within three
hours after the president had vetoed
it.
Before congress at $40 o'clock
finally clinched enactment OF the en-
forcement law, despite presidential
objection to linking war time and
constitutional prohibition acts, there
came from the White House the an
nouncement that war time law
which was put into effect after the
cessation of hostilities-would be an
nulled the moment the senate formal
ly ratified the German peace treaty.
It was the most definite of all Of
fetal or semi officia1 statements bear
ing on the war time act. Prohibition
leaders were plainly disturbed by the
news, for they had counted firmly
upon the country reaching the effec-
tive date of constitutional prohibition
January 16, 1s20-wthoul reopen
ing Of saloons
Despite the clamor set up by wet
and dry forces over the White House
pronouncemen ent, senate leaders said
they would proceed with considera-
ton of the treaty as heretofore. Sen
ators who have taken an active part
in the prohibition campaign branded
as unfair and absurd reports that they
would delay the treaty simply to keep
The liquor traffic from getting foot
hold in the Comparatively short pc
riod remaining before the country will
go dry for good.
Formal denial was issued from the
headquarters of the Anti-Saloon
league that it's officers would take no
part in any movement calculated to
delay the treaty. League officers
stuck to the opinion that it would be
necessary to first ratify the Austrian
treaty before lifting the war time pro-
hibition ban, which was said to have
been the ruling Of Attorney General
Palmer, and they declared their po-
sition was not altered by the fact
that President Wilson prepared to
cut through legal doubt and wipe out
a law the necessity for which he be-
lieves to have passed.
With todays action by the senate
the department Of justice is ready to
deal with any offenders against the
drastic provision of the new act. At
best heretofore, prosecutions were
more or less haphazard and necessar-
lily so, it was said, because cf loosely
drawn language of the act, but the
new law gives ample means of break
ing up the traffic.
So drastic is the enforcement act
that man, for instance, may be
fined or put in Jail for displaying
picture of a brewery or q keg, but his
right to store liquor in his own home
for his own use stood up against all
attacks in committee and both houses
of congress.
Warning went tonight to dealers
selling 3-4 per cent beer, without
apparent risk heretofore. that the
new law fixed one-half of 1 per cent
as the legal limit of alcoholic con-
tent.
The roll call in the senate follows:
For overriding the veto:
Republicans-Ball. Capper, Colt
Cummins, Curtis. Frnald, Freling-
huysen. Gronna. Halle, Hardin, john
son of California, Jones of Washlng1
ton, kellogg. Kenyon, Keyes Knox,
Lenroot, Lodge. Mccormick. McCum-
ber, McNary, Moses, Nelson, New
Newberry. Norris, Page, Phipps. Poin-
dexter, Sherman, Smoot, Spencer
Sterling, sutherland. Townsend
Wadsworth. Warren, Watson-S8.
Democrats = Ashurst, Bankhead,
Dial. Chamberlain. Fletcher. Gore,
Harris. Harrison. Henderson. Jones of
New Mexico. Kendrick. Kirby, Nc
Kellar, Myers. Hugent. Overman,
Owen. Pomerene. Sheppard, Sim
mons. Smith of Arizona. Smith OF
Georgia. Swanson, Trammell. Walsh
Of Montana. Williams and Wolcott-
?7. Total for 55.
Against:
Republicans - Borah, Brandegee.
Mclean. Edge. Calder. Fall. France.
IaFol!ette and PenrcSe-9.
Democrats-Gay. Gerry. Hitchcock,
King. Phelan. Ransdel, Robinson,
Shields. Thomas. Underwood and
Walsh of Masachusetts-1f. Total
,gainst 90.