Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-01-24
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-
~ fed In Less Than Thir-
teen Months.

With a swiftness that has surprised
even the most optimistic of prohibit
ton advocates the United States has
voted itself dry. 1t has done this by
voting into the federal constitution an
amendment that prohibits the manu-
faeture, sale orr transportation of in
t0xicating liquors within the United
States for beverage purposes, as well
as its importation into or expectation
from the United States and all terri
tory subject to its jurisdiction.
For fifty years the campaign to OBJ
tain prohibition either by state or fed
eral legislation has been waged with
out interruption, but now the desired
end has been reached by writing the
prohibitory regulations into the or
ganic law. In this form, owing to the
difficulties attendant upon changes in
the Constitution. nationwide prohibi-
tiOn becomes more OF n permanent in
stitutlon than an experiment that
could be terminated by 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 TO
make It effective. becomes the eigh-
teenth amendment to the Constitution.
The resolution providing for its sub
mission to the state legislatures. intro
duced by Senator Morris Sheppard of
Texns. was finally adopted by congress
December 1S 1917. On January 10,
1919, less than thirteen months after
the adoption OF the resolution by con-
grcss. ratification Of the amendment
by the states was accomplished. No
other proposed amendment to the Con-
stitntion has been adopted with such
speed. with. the exception Of that
which provided for the abolition OF
slavery. Action on the seventeen other
amendments that have been adopted
has required from nine to forty-three
snonths. The average time required
has been about two years.
The war Is given the credit for has.
tening the adoption Of prohibition in
this country. The economic aspect of
the question WIS emphasized by the
wnr emergency. and the handwriting
ON the wall was seen when congress
passed law providing for nation
wide prohibition as war measure, to
become effective July 1, 1919. and to
continue until the armies OF the Unit.
cd States have been demobilized II
this law goes into effect, as contenl-
plated, the country will 80 dry July 1
although the constitutional amend
Inent will not become effective until
one year after its ratification by the
required number Of state legislatures
Text Of Amendment.
The text Of the resolution embody.
ing the amendment which has now
been adopted is as follows:
JOINT RESOLUTION PROPOSING
AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTI
TUITION OF THE UNITED STATES
Resolved by the senate and house O.
representatives of the United States
OF America in congress assembled
two-thirds OF each house concurrin,
. therein, that the following amend
ment to the Constitution be, and here
by Is, proposed to the states to be
come valid as a part of the Constitu
tion when ratified by the legislature
of the several states as provided b.
the Constitution:
Section AFTER one year from tn
ratification of this article the manu-
faciure. sale or transportation of in
tOxicating liquors within, the impol
fation thereof into, or the exportatio
thereof from the United States an
all territory subject to the jurisdictio
thereof for beverage purposes is here
by prohibited.
Section 2-The congress and IN
several states have concurrent pow
or TO enforce this article by appropr
ate legislation.
Section 3-This article shall be Il
operative unless It shall have bee
ratified as an amendment to the Coz