The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-01-17
UNCLE sam ON
WATER WAGON
Nebraska Completes Task of
Putting Entire Nation Into
Dry Column.
IS EFFECTIVE IN One YEAR
Thirty-six States Have Now Ratified
Prohibition Amendment.-Distil-
lers Will Fight Law, and Start
Court Action.

NOuEt kACSlUU.
Chicago, Jan. 16.-The United
States today completed the legisla-
tive process Of voting itself dry.
When word was flashed over the wires
that the Seth state, Nebraska, had
ratified the prohibition amendment,
prohibition leaders declared that the
accomplishment was the greatest
piece of moral legislation in the his
tory 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 it's final ratification. Meanwhile
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
mitting the amendment to the various
state legislatures in the midst of the
seething preparations for war in 1917.
The senate adopted the resolution
August 1 by vote of IS to 20, and
the lower house on December II by
282 to 1913.
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 8.
In the fall elections the wet and 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 Ian on vodka in
Russia was never copstetely effective,
nor did it interfere materially with
the consumption of more expensive IL
quors by those who could afford it.
Russian advices now state that the
Bolshviki have restored the vodka
traffic.
Michigan, having by state law,
made itself dry in 1918, was the first
to ratify in 1919, the legislature vot-
ing on the second day of the new year.
From that date to today legislatures
have acted rapidly. Five states rati-
fled yesterday, bringing the number
up to thirty-five. Other legislatures
worked at feverish speed to be the
thirty-sixth, with Nebraska and Min
nesota contesting in the lead.
Meanwhile distillers' committee,
through Levy Mayer, chief of their
counsel, announced that in % states
the constitutions require a referendum
vote of citizens in order to ratify a
constitutional amendment.
Mr.. Mayer named these states as
follows:
South Dakota, Oregon, Nevada
Montana, Oklahoma, Maine, Maryland
Michigan, Arkansas, Colorado. Arizo-
ma, New Mexico, California. Ohio, Ne
braska, Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas
Louisiana and Utah.
In California court action has al
ready been taken to restrain the gov.
ernor from certifying the action of the
legislature to Washington. Every eff
fort of the distillers with resources OF
approximately s1,0U0,O00,O0O will be
employed in the supreme effort tc
save their businesses, it is said. Ar
important meeting of the distillers
committee will be held at New York
on January %, when it is planned te
adopt a detailed program.
Dry leaders assert that the distil.
lers' attack was foreseen and that il
is without merit. Next Sunday a
committee from the suburb of Evans.
ton, long the home and headquarters
of the late Frances E. Willard, fol-
many years head of the Women's
Christian Temperance Union, will &c
to Rose Hill cemetery to lay a wreath
on the mound under which Miss Will
lard's body reposes.
The text of the congressional reso-
luton follows:
"Section AFTER one year from the
last ratification of this article the
manufacture, sale or transportation
of Intoxicating liquors within, the i'm
portation thereof into, or the exporta
ton thereof from the United States
and all territory subject to the juris-
diction thereof for beverage purposes
is hereby prohibited.
"Section 2-The congress and the
several states shall have concurrent
power to enforce this article by ap-
propriate legislation.
"Section 3-This article shall be in
operative unless it shall have been
ratified as an amendment to the con-