The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-28
WETSPLACING
. LAST HOPE IN
REFERENDUMS
IN Is STATES

BALTIMORE, July 2S.-J. Fred
Essary, in a Washington dispatch to
the Baltimore Sun today, says:
"a single chance remains for the
defeat of Constitutional prohibition
in the United States, and while that
chance is remote, it is nevertheless
being carefully weighed not only by
the liquor interests of the country,
but by the prohibiticnists themselves.
IF the action of ten State legisla-
lures which ratified the Eighteenth
amendment to the Constitution can
be reversed by means Of popular ref
erendums, the prohibition mandate
which is now scheduled to go into
effect on January is will be nullified.
The Nation viii return forthwith to
q liquor basis except to such an ex-
tent as State laws apply.
Referendum in Fifteen States.
In the fight against nation-w wide
prohibition, referendum proceedings
already have been invoked in fifteen
States. FIVE more than are needed to
negative the action of their respective
legislatures. The States are Michigan.
Ohio. Missouri, Arkansas, New
Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Wash
tngton. California, Nevada, Maine,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah and Idaho.
The petitions have been thrown out
in three Of these States, that is, in
Oregon, Utah and Idaho, and so far
no appeals have been taken from the
courts in these States to the United
States Supreme Court.
The necessary petitions already
have been filed in seven of the refer
endum States and in the others they
are being circulated for the sigma
lures OF voters. When the required
humber Of names has been secured
they will be presented to the proper
officials. In all such States it is
provided that petitions for referen-
num shall be signed by a fixed per-
centage of the voters, usually five
Or six per cent After the filing,
general or special elections must be
held at which the propositions con-
tanned in the referendum must be
voted on.
Drys Have Margin of Q.
On January % of this year Acting
Secretary Of State Polk proclaimed
the fact that thirty-six States had
ratified the Eighteenth amendment
Among those thirty-six States are in
cluded ten whose constitutions give
the right OF referendum. An ex-
ample is the State of Ohio. Already
the courts in that State have held
- -
amendment is subject to referen-
dunn. A petition has now been filed
and an election will be held in No
Rember. If the people Of the State
DO not concur in the action of their
legislature which ratified the amend
ment Ohio has been improperly
counted among the thirty-six States
In the Polk proclamation.
Up to date, however, the legisla-
lures IN forty-five States have ratified
the Eighteenth amendment, nine
having passed the ratifying resolu-
ton since Secretary Polk issued his
PROCLAMATION. Three fourths of the
Etates, or thirty-six, must ratify be-
fore an amendment becomes opera
tive, and the drys. therefore. have a
I,argin of nine States to their credit
hide Island, Connecticut and New
ey have not ratified.
. the people of ten of the fortv-
Z = States express their disapproval of
Eat ratification resolution, then only
khirty-five will have legally ratified
that measure, and il having failed
to receive the necessary three
fourths vote Of the forty-eight Amer
lean Commonwealths, the Eighteenth
amendment will not be part of the
organic law.
Situation In Brief.
The exact situation in the several
States invoking the referendum is
shown by Levy Mayer, counsel for The
wet interests, in the following sum-
mary:
I-Arkansas. 5000 names necessary
20 referend: 10000 names filed May
20. Permission to file petitions for
referendum refused by the secretary
Of state of Arkansas May 81.
2-California, 1854 names neces-
Eary to referend; $4,000 names filed
Sune u; nearly $4,000 declared "suf-
dcient" by the county clerks and GER
tilted to the secretary of state.
1Colorado. 10000 names necessary
to referend; 10000 filed June IS.
Maine. 10000 names necessary to
referend; 10000 will be filed this
week.
5-Michigsn. $4,000 names neces-
Bary to referend; more than 10000
will be fled this week.
6-Missouri. $4,000 names necessary
60 referend; more than 100000 will be
died this week.
NEBRASKA, 10000 names neces-
Eary to referend: 10000 filed July 10.
S-Nevada, 1857 names necessary to
referend: 1000 filed July %.
9-New Mexico. 1900 names neces-
Eary TO referend; 10000 filed June 10:
attorney general not yet issued Of
6cial ruling.
1O-Oklahoma. 1900 names neces-
sary to referend; $4,000 filed June Is;
secretary of state on instruction from
attorney general has refused 10 put
referendum proposition to ballot:
Fnandamus proceedings are now pend
ing in State supreme court.
11-Ohio. $4,000 names necessary to
-eferend: 200. 600 filed March ] secre-
any Of State accepted petition and
nIed it; drys enjoined him from put