The Monticellonian., 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- fled in Less Than Thir-
 teen Months.

lSEH WOfAtlS.
 With a swiftneSs that has surprised even the most optimistic of prohibit ton advocates the United States has voted itself dry. It has done this by voting into the federal constitution all amendment that prohibits the manu- fracture, sale or transportation of in toxicatng liquors within the United States for beverage purposes, as well as its importation into or eXpOrtation from the United States and all terri tory subject to its jurisdiction.
 For fifty years the campaign 10 ob- 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 prehihitory regulations into the or ganic law. In this form, owing to the difficulties attendant upon changes ill the Constitution. nationwide prohibit tion becomes more of a permanent in. stitutfon 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 10 make 1t effective, becomes the eigh. teenth amendment to the Constitution. The resolution providing for it's sub mission to the state legislatures, intro dueed by Senator Morris Sheppard Of Texas, was finally adopted by congress December IS, 1917. On January Is, 1919, less than thirteen months after the adoption of the resolution by con gress, ratification of the amendment by the states was accomplished. No other proposed amendment to the Con stitution 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 months. 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 was emphasized by the war emergency, and the handwriting on the wall was seen when congress passed law providing for nation wide prohibition IS war measure, to become effective July 1, 1919, and to continue until the armies of the Unit ed States have been demohilized. If
 
 plated. the country will go dry July l, wlthoagh the constitutional amend bonnt will not become effective until
 scar after its ratification hy the
 ed number If state legislatures.
 Text of Amendment.
 Delegate of the resolution embody- over the eo,endment which has now last week and Ais as follows:
 American Labol. UTI0N PROPOSING Friends Of GovtT TO THE GaNSTI- in Chicago last W. IrNITED STATES in 1920. r@ 1rn5ta5 S..t,,.
 DoMEs1 gresS assembled. The legislature of Mouse concurring Jan. s. The capital waGwfug amend hundreds of patriots seekin)e, and here A bill to be presented to ,es to be- limits enlistments in the navy tonstitu- 900 tures The settlement of some two billion | dollars worth of war contracts has | been left in hands of Secretary Baker No change will be made in the meth. q floating the new issue of Liberty Bonds in spite of an appeal by the banks to let them handle the issue.
 Internal revenue collectors for the last nve months of last year amounted to s62l. .297 ,00O, says a treasury report. Saloons in st. Louis are going out of business at the rate of one every day There are 365 fewer than a year ago.
 Rail men at Washington are urging to enlarge the cabinet and appoint secretary of Transportation Fourteen religious denominations nave united in a general campaign for 'ettering human conditions after the war.
 Congress has set aside sl00.0 1000 900. IS requested by President Wilson. for immediate relief work ,a Europe. The United States army has enough andes to burn 5.250 years, but the rpply is not considered excessive. Restrictions being removed from the ale of foodstuffs. St Louis house 'ives are complaining of the boost in rices.