The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1919-07-18


for immediate consideration. The vol
for and SO against with one voting ?
and dry strength in the House. Deba
ately and continued during the remain
On July Ia debate on the bill wa
nents. Each section was considered
veloned over the amendment to define
more than 2M per cent alcohol instead
as provided in the bill
+, Vets Offer Beer Amendment
4 The wet amendment was offered
by Representative Dyer of Missouri.
This amendment was killed by a
record vote OF Isl to 90. The vote
on other amendments showed ap-
proximately the same relative to wet
and dry strength. As this is written
il seems probable that further con-
sideration OF the enforcement bill
will continue throughout the entire
week The vets are fighting every
step OF the way. While they have lit
tie hope of being able to defeat the
bill they are doing all they can to
delay the vote upon it.
The chief efforts of the vets were
centered about their pa per cent beer
proposal. Defeated in this they at
tackled many other features OF the bill
using their customary arguments.
They made much Of Samuel Gompcr's
protest against Prohibition and reit-
Grated their baseless assertion that
soldiers oppose Prohibition. In the
debate the vets were constantly at
great disadvantage because the drys
were able to call attention to actual
facts in connection with Prohibition
in states that were dry before July |.
In report by Congressman Vol
stead, chairman of the judiciary COM
mittee, made at the time that the bill
was reported out of committee he
outlined the attitude of the drys on
most of the points in controversy.
The following extracts from this
report give comprehensive analysis
of the main points involved during
consideration of the enforcement bill
War Prohibition
With an army Of more than a mil
lion men still in the service we are
clearly on war footing. Our peace
army, as fixed by law, is only l75,000
men. Until conditions in Europe be-
come more settled it is evident that
it will not be possible to demobilize
the army so as to reduce it within
the next few months to peace figures,
and especially is that true if the
treaty of peace contains stipulations
that require of us force to maintain
peace abroad in this condition it
would seem that there is fair chance
war Prohibition may last until con-
stitutional Prohibition takes effect in
January OF next year, which is only
little more than six months off.
From the standpoint of those who
Lelieve in Prohibition this is desr-
able and will no doubt meet the
wishes of vast majority of our peo-
i, ole.
Defining Intoxicating Liquor
In considering this bill it has been
suggested that Congress has no
power to define the phrase "intoxicat-
ing liquor" contained in this amend
ment This suggestion does not ap-
pear to raise any real difficulty Con-
gress is given power to enforce this
amendment by appropriate legisla-
ton. To do that it must necessarily
determine its scope and meaning.
Congress has the same power as a
court to compare it with prior legs-
lation on the subject and to take no.
tice of the purpose had in mind in
passing it. 1t is part of the history
of this country that for many years
bitter and persistent struggle has
been going on against the liquor
traffic. This amendment is the culmi-
nation Of that struggle. Many states
have passed constitutional amend
ments to accomplish locally the same
objects as that sought by this amend
ment; they are all substantially in
the same lang iage as this one The
legislatures of these states, more than
so in number, have passed statutes
, to carry these amendments into eff