The sun., 1919-01-17
Prohibition In Principle and Prohl-
bition in Enforcement.

Prohibition In Principle and Prohl-
bition in Enforcement.
Nebraska voted yesterday to ratify
the prohibition amendment to the
Federal Constitution. being the thirty
sixth State thus voting. This com
pleted the required three-fourths ma
jority In the Union. Missouri fol-
lowed later in the day.
In some States the powerful inter
ests opposed to the amendment are
preparing, with the aid Of able coun-
sol, to raise legal objections to the
form Of ratification. In California,
for example, court order has al
ready been obtained temporarily en-
Joining the Governor from signing
the resolution OF ratification. on the
ground that the California Constitu-
tlon makes necessary a reference Of
the measure to the vote Of the people.
In other States 1t Is likewise claimed
that only a referendum can validate
the Federal amendment. We do not
look for important results from any
Of these proceedings. Although there
has been in no State a vote of the
people at the polls on the merits Of
the measure, the fact remains, as THE
Sun pointed out nearly q year ago,
that the Constitution Of the United
States provides only two methods Of
ratification: namely, by direct vote Of
the Legislature and by vote OF spe-
cially called convention for that pur-
pose. One or the other method is to
be prescribed by the Congress sub
uniting the proposed amendment to
the States; and In the present case
the Joint resolution Of the Sixty-fifth
Congress prescribed the direct vote of
the Legislatures.
The tremendous force OF prohibit
tion sentiment throughout the repub-
lie has been demonstrated in most
striking fashion by the swift progress
of this Federal amendment. 1t is
only few days over year since the
first State, Mississippi, took her place
mt the head of the procession. Since
then. during the seasons of legislative
activity, the sister States have fallen
into line with unexpected prompt.
ness and as the amendment neared
its numerical goal they have fairly
tumbled over each other In their
cyclOnic eagerness. No State has
yet rejected the radical measure. In
most cases the favorable vote has
been overwhelming sometimes unani-
nous. Speaking Of the country at
large, and even of States where prompt
acquiescence by the Legislatures was
least to be expected. the rapidly Of
the process indicates lively percep-
tion by the politicians of all parties
Of an Irresistible popular demand.
The wide scope and mighty power
Of this now triumphant movement for
the suppression Of the liquor traffic
by national legislation. are due, as
THE Sun has believed, chiefly to three
circumstances. One Is the experience
of the war, demanding the ellmina-
ton of every social factor involving
the waste of material and the impair
ment of personal efficiency. The sec.
ond Is the woman vote. representing
almost always hatred and fear of
the liquor saloon. The third, and
perhaps the most important, is, as
we have said before, the growing be-
lief on the part Of millions Of temper
ate citizens, not teetotallers, that the
time has come when they ought to
surrender something Of what they
have been accustomed TO regard as
the rlghtful liberty Of personal choice
for the sake OF others
Yet although the principle Of Fed
eral power to go into the States and
suppress the manufacture, the sale,
the transportation, the importation or
the expectation Of Intoxicating liquors
for beverage purposes was firmly es-
tablished yesterday as a part Of the
fundamental law, it would be idle to
blink the fact that there remain ut
least two practical and very impor-
tant questions In relation to the en-
forcement. These arise from the I'M
fortunately vague phraseology Of the
amendment. THE SUN called atten-
tlon to them at the time when the
Joint resolution launching the amend
ment was passed by the Congress.
The first question Is as to the def
milton OF the term Intoxicating H.
quors." 1t has been held by the
courts, we believe, in general way
in various cases that beer and wine
containing alcohol are intoxicating H.
quors. No extreme construction, of
course, Is yet applicable to any legis-
iation that may result from this Fed. |
eral amendment. OF course an exact