Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1919-01-23
PROHIBITION TO
Be NATIONWIDE
More Than Required Two-thirds
of the States Have Ratified
the Dry Amendment.

BY constitutional amendment the
United States Of America will be-
come arid, being the first large coun-
try in the history of the world TO
take legislative action TO Danish
liquor for beverage purposes for all
time.
Less than fourteen months after
congress had voted to submit the
amendment 10 the action Of the
states, it had secured the approval of
three-fourths of the states of the
union, and thus, becomes a portion
of the constitution Of the United
States. Questions raised as TO when
the amendment becomes portion Of
the constitution seem TO be settled.
a point was raised as 70 whether the
amendment became part Of the con-
stitution when three-fourths Of the
states had acted favorably upon it, or
when the proper certifcation had
been made to the Secretary of State.
This seems 10 be settled definitely
by the president, the last two amend
ments having been given immediate
effect upon the ratification by the
states. One Of these was the direct
election Of u. S. senators.
According TO this the dry amend
ment TO the constitution will be in
force on January l6, 1920
That the United States will be dry
at a much earlier period, however, is
certain, as the wartime prohibition
goes into effect on July /, 1919, and
remains in effect during the period OF
the war and rehabilitation. This
will probably mark the beginning Of
a continued dry United States, as it
is hardly possible that the demobil-
zation of the troops will have
ben completed before the con-
stitutional amendment takes effect a
year hence.
Michigan, one Of the first states to
act on the amendment. did not APP
prove of it, having accepted version
Of the amendment that was faulty,
and thus the vote Of Michigan is not
the vote Of one of the states included
in the ree-fourths needed TO make
the proposed amendment a part Of
the constitution Of the United States.
Word from the Secretary of State
informed Governor Sleeper Of the
faulty version, flaw appearing in
the second section. The section as
passed by the Michigan Legislature
read, THE Congress and the several
States shall have joint power, etc
The section should have read, The
Congress and the several States shall
have concurrent power TO enforce
this article by appropriate legislation
IL is said that Grant Hudson, the
well-known Michigan dry worker was
responsible for the slip, due to his
efforts 10 rush the amendmen,
through the legislature, which was
done in about a half-hour Without
question 1t will again be approved.
The text Of the amendment follows
"Secton - After one year from
the ratification of this article tn,
manufacture, sale, or transportation
Of intoxicating liquors within, tn,
importation thereof into, or the ex
portation thereof from the Unitet
States and all territory subject to the
! jurisdiction thereof for beverag,
purposes is hereby prohibited
Section . The congress anc
the several states shall have con
current power to enforce this articl,
by appropriate legislation.
Section b This article shall b,
imperative unless il shall have beer
ratified as an amendment to the con
stitution by the legislatures of tn,
several states, as provided in tn,
constitution, within seven years from
the date Of the submission to tn,
states bv the compress