The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1919-01-31
Early Victories Lead to Ma
tional Movement Against
Liquor Traffic
FIVE YEAR CAMPAIGN
Wins DRY AMENDMENT
States Ratify Rapidly After Amend
ment Is Submitted
WHOLE NATION DRY FOREVER

The Anti-Saloon League was found
I'd 25 years ago. For 20 years 1t
fought the liquor traffic in villages,
townships, counties and in states. At
first Prohibition progress was slow.
GRADUALLY anti-saloon fighting meth
DDS improved Organizations were
strengthened. Science, medicine, bus
mess. industry and cduation gave in
creasing cooperation in campaigns
against the saloon. In 1913 the Anti
Saloon League of America decided
that the time had come to wage a
fight for national Prohibition by con-
sttutional amendment, at national
convention held in Columbus, Ohio,
November 10th to 18th. At this con
vention the temperance forces OF the
nation through their representatives
declared war against the liquor trat-
fic on a national basis and immediate
" commenced nationwide CAM
paign. The slogan OF the Christian
Endeavor, "A Saloonless Nation by
1920" was adopted at its program by
the Anti Saloon League. One month
after the Columbus convention a
committee of 1000 men appointed at
the convention met at Washington
and presented to the members OF the
House of Representatives and the
Senate a proposed joint resolution
calling for the submission of an
amendment to .he constitution OF the
United States to the several state leg
islatures. On December p, 1914, the
national Prohibition resolution was
brought to a vote on the floor of the
House of Representatives The result
was 197 votes in favor and l89 against
the measure. Since the resolution re-
quired two-thirds majority, it failed
to pass.
On August I, 1917, the United
States Senate voted to submit the ma
tional amendment by vote of o5 to 20.
On December II, 1917, the House of
Representative by vote of 282 to
128 passed the national Prohibition
amendment resolution. Up to this
point the national campaign of the
Anti Saloon League involved the cleo
ton OF two-thirds dry majority to
the United States Senate and House
of Representatives This was made
possible by the fact that the political
power of the liquor interests had been
broken by anti-salooh victories in a
great portion of the United States.
The next step after the proposed
amendment was submitted by Con-
gress was to secure its ratification by
three-fourths or SO of the states of
the Union. This involved the election
of dry majority in both branches OF
the legislatures of SO states. Missis-
sippi was the first state to ratify, both
Houses acting favorably on the
amendment ON January 8, 1918. Dur
ing 1918 II more states ratified, of
them acting at special sessions. Five
Of these states, namely Kentucky,
Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts
and Louisiana were wet states. Dry
victories in these states gave the Anti
Saloon forces the hope of winning SO
states during 1910, when most OF the
remaining state legislatures would
meet
Michigan was the first state to rat
ify this year. Ratification votes i'll
other states followed in rapid success
sion. 1t soon became apparent that
ratification would win in more than
80 states whose legislatures were in
session. Consequently the various
states rushed the resolution through
with all possible speed in order to OBJ
tain a place in the list of the original
80. On January Ia, states ratified.
Among them was Illinois, both
Houses of the Legislature having
given ratification precedence over all
other legislative business. On Janu-
airy Is, more states ratified, bring
ing the total to IS. In the race on the
following day for the honor of push
ing the ratification football over the
goal line, Nebraska won, making the
touchdown at 1915 in the morning of
January 10. Missouri followed less
than an hour later and Wyoming rat
fled unanimously in both Houses on
the same day. The first SO states rat
flying gave total of 1916 votes fo