The Dermott news., 1919-01-23
NATION DRY ONLY
 AFTER LONG FIGHT
Campaign Comes to End With
 Surprising SuddenneSS.
BEFORE CONGRESS 40 YEARS
Sheppard Prohibition Amendment, Eighteenth to Be Adopted, Rati- fled in Less Than Thlr-
 teen Months.

With swlrtuess that has surprised even the most optimistic af Prohahl- ton adyocutcs the United States has voted itself dry. t has done tAls bE voting into the federal constitution an amendment that prohibits the manu- facture, sale or transportation of In- toxicatlnG liquors within the United States for beverage purposes. aS wei as it's importation into or eNPortation from the United States and al terri tory subject to its jurisdiction.
 For fifty years the campaign to oh- tain prohibition either by state or fed eral legislation has been waEed with out interruption, but HeW the desired end has been reaehed by writinS the prohibitory regulations into Che CT ganie law. In this form owing ta the difficulties attendant Gpon changes in the Constitution. nationwide pruhihl- ton becomes more of q permanent in sutuuon than an experiment that could be terminated hy congressional legislation.
 The Sheppard prohibition amend ment. which has Just been ratified by more than three-fourths of the states of the Union, the number required 10 make il effective becomes tho eigh teenth amendment to the Constitution. The resolution providing for it's sub mission to the state legislatures, intro duced by Senator Morris Sheppard of Texas. was finally adopted hy congress December IS 1917. On January lG, 1919, less than thirteen months after the adoption If the resolution by cou- greSS. ratification of the amendment by the states WAS accomplished. No other proposed amendment to the Gen stitu6ou has been adopted with such speed, with the exception of that which provided for the abolition of slavery. Action ou the seventeen other amendments that have been aIopted has required from nine to forty fy-fdrre months. The average time required has been about two years.
 The war is given the credit for has tenins the adoption ef prohibition in this euunrrN. The economic aspect of the question was emphasized hy Ne war emergency. and tHe handwriting on the wall was seen when congress passed law providing for nation wide prohibition as a War measure. to become effective Juiy l, 1219, and 10 continue uatl the armies of the Unit ed States have heen demohUzed. If this law goes info effect. as coutem- plated, the country will eo dry July l, although tue constitutional amend ment will aot become effective until one year after its ratification by the required number of state legislatures.
 Text Of Amendment
 The text of the resolution embedy- ing the amendment which has now been adopted k as follows;
 JOINT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTI- TUITION OF THE UNITED STATES.
 Resolved by the senate and house of representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled two-thirds of each house conCuruns therein that the following amend sutill iO llit ' bISlliutipH ht, dHI iItIt~ by Is. proposed to the states to be come valid as part of the Constitu- tion when ratified by the legislatures of the several states as provided by the Constitution:
 Section t-After one year from the ratification of this article the manu- fracture, sale or transportation of in toxicating liquors within, the impor- tation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is here by prohibited.
 Section 2-The congress and the several states have concurrent pow CT to enforce this article by nppropri- ate legislation.
 Section 3-This article shall be in- operative unless it shall have been ~ntitied as an amendment to the Con-