Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-19
REGULAR COURSE
FOR AMENDMENT
Secretary of State Will Fol-
low Traditional Pro-
cedure.
AWAITS STATE NOTICES

Oficial announcement by the Secre-
tary Of State of the ratification of the
prohibition amendment to the Consti-
tuition by the required number Of
states of the Union-thirty-six
follow precisely the course of pro-
cedure adopted In the cases of the
constitutional amendment providing
for an income tax and the amend
ment providing for the election of
United States senators by the people.
In the case. Of the income tax
amendment. Philander c. Knox. then
Secretary of State. issued proclama-
ton under date of February Is. 1913.
stating that as the legislatures of
the requisite number of states had
ratified the amendment (giving their
names), he. "as Secretary of State of
the United States. by virtue and in
pursuance of Section EOS Of the Re-
vised Statutes of the United States.
do hereby certify that the amend
ment aforesaid has become to all in
tents and purposes a part of the Con-
stitution of the United States"
Alabama Was First.
Alabama was the first state to rati-
fly the income tax amendment-Au-
gust IT. 1909-and Wyoming was the
thirty -sixth-February 8. 1913. Twen-
ty-two days after the last mentioned
date the Secretary of State officially
declared the amendment part of the
Constitution" Forty-two states rati-
fled the income tax amendment, being
six more than the required three
fourths. Two states-Massachuset
and New Hampshire-ratified the
amendment about two weeks after
the proclamation of the Secretary OF
State had been issued.
William J. Bryan, then Secretary
of State, used precisely the same lam
guage in a proclamation issued May
ment providing for the election Of
senators by popular vote had been
legally ratified by the legislatures Of
three-fourths of the states and was
part of the Constitution of the
that case also was issued exactly
twenty-five days after the last state
of the required three-fourths-Wis
consin-had rgtified the amendment.
May 0, 1913.
Coincidence in Intervals.
That there was an interval of TWEEN
ty-two days before certification by
the Secretary of State in both
cases cited was mere nS Incl is
or regulations. The senatorial cleo
ton amendment was ratified by the
state of Louisiana June II, 1914.
eleven days after 1t had been declared
by the Secretary of State part Of the
Constitution.
In the cases Of the two amendments
cited the Secretary Of State based the
certif1cation on "official documents on
file in this department" showing that
the legislatures Of the requisite num-
Der of states had ratified the amend
ments.
1t thus appears that the Secretary
of State simply certifes to the legal
ratification of the amendment and its
validity, and does not. otherwise in
dictate when it becomes effective. 1t
is stated that similar action will be
taken in the case Of the prohibition
amendment, and that the usual proc
,lamation Of ratification will issue
soon after the receipt of the ,official
notification from the required num-
Der Of states. So far but fifteen
states have been heard from, but little
delay is anticipated in hearing from
the other states that have ratified
the amendment. The State Depart
ment was notified ofiicially this morn
ing that West Virginia ratified the
amendment. January 8.