Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-01-16


here today.
Chicago, Jan. 16.-The United
States today completed the legislative
process of voting itself dry. When
word was flashed over the wires that
the 36th state. Nebraska, had ratified
the prohibition amendment, prohibi-
ton leaders declared that the ac-
complishment was the greatest piece
of moral legislation in the history of
the world.
The amendment to the federal con-
stitution prohibiting the manufacture
and sale Of intoxicating beverages be-
comes effective one year after the
date Of its final ratification! Mean
while the nation goes dry July / next,
by presidential proclamation as war
measure, unless the president rescinds
it before that date.
Congress passed the resolution sub
hitting the amendment to, the various
rtate legislatures in the midst of the
reething preparations for war in 1917.
The senate adopted the resolution
August by q vote Of 65 to 20 and the
lower house on December IL, 1917,
282 to l2S. s,,4..a,,--s r;ss. ).
:. The legislature of Mississippi was
the first to ratify, taking this action
on January 8, 1918. Fourteen other
states took similar action during that
year, the last of them being Louisi-
ana, which ratified on August g.
In the fall elections the wet or dry
question was paramount in most of
the remaining states, but the vote left
no doubt that the United States was
destined to be the first great nation
to, veto liquor.
The ban on vodka in Russia was
never completely effective, nor did it
interfere materially with the con-
sumption of more expensive liquors
advices now state that the Bolshevists
have restored the vodka traffic.
Michigan First to Ratify in 1919.
Michigan, having by a state law
made itself dry in 1918, was the first
state to ratify in 1919, the legislature
voting on the second day of the new
year. From that date to today legis-
latures have acted rapidly Five
states ratified yesterday, bringing the
number up to IS. Other legislatures
worked at feverish speed to be the
36th with Nebraska and Minnesota
apparently contesting in the lead.
Meanwhile a distillers' committee,
through Levy Mayer, chief of their
counsel, announced that in twenty
Z two states the constitutions require q
to ratify a constitutional amendment.
Mr.. Mayer today named these states
as follows:
South Dakota, Oregon, Nevada,
Montana, Oklahoma Maine, Mary
land, Michigan. Arkansas, Colorado,
Arizona. New Mexico, California, Ohio,
Washington, North Dakota, Missis-
sippi, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana,
. Utah and Nebraska.
In California court action has al
ready been taken to restrain the gov
ernor from certifying the action OF
the legislature to Washington. Every
I. resource of the distillers with re-
sources of approximately $1,000,000,-
900 will be employed in the supreme
effort to save their business, it is said.
An important meeting Of the distillers'
committee will be held at New York
on January .2S when it is planned to
adopt detailed program.
Dry leaders assert that the dis
tillers' attack was .foreseen and that
it is without merit.
Next Sunday a committee from the
suburb of Evanston, long the home
and headquarters of the late Frances
+. Willard, for many years head OF
the w. C. T. u. will go to Rosehill
cemetery to lay a wreath on the snow
Wizards body reRoses. The text OF
the congressional resolution follows:
Section 1. After one year from
the ratification of this article the
manufacture. sale or transportation
of intoxicating liquors within, the nm
'portation thereof into. or the expor-
tation thereof from the United statei
and all territory subject to the juris.
diction thereof for beverage purposes
ia hereby prohibited