The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1919-01-23
NATIONAL PROH| IS
RATIFIED BY STATES
UNITED STATES COMPLETES THE
LEGISLATIVE PROCESS OF
VOTING ITSELF DRY.
LIQUOR DEALERS MAY QUIT
BY Presidential Proclamation, As a
War Measure Whole Country Be-
comes Dry July First-Brew-
cries May Be Factories.

Chicago-National prohibition seems
an assured fact. Thousands of dealers
all over the country have announced
their intention of exporting their
stocks and converting their distilleries
and breweries into factories or other
business concerns. The National Liq-
uor Dealers association, however,
holds on to the idea Of injunctions to
prevent the consummation of the bone
dry victory, claiming that in many
states that have ratified the amend
ment there is a referendum law re-
quiring such issues to be submitted to
the people.
The United States on Jan. 16 COM
pleted the legislative process of voting
itself dry When word was flashed
over the wires that Nebraska had rati-
fled the prohibition amendment, prohi-
plishment was the greatest piece OF
moral legislation in the history of the
world.
The amendment to the federal con-
stitution prohibiting the manufacture
and sale of intoxicating beverages be-
comes effective one year after the date
of it's final ratification. Meanwhile,
the nation goes dry July /, next, by
presidential proclamation, as war
measure, unless the president rescinds
it before that date.
The Nebraska state legislature COM
pleted ratification of the amendment
when the senate voted to concur in
house amendment to severe Joint
resolution providing for ratification.
Soon afterward the Missouri legisla-
ture ratified the federal prohibition
amendment when the house concurred
in the senate resolution by vote OF
1O4 to 36, making the thirty-eighth
state.
The legislature of Mississippi was
the first to ratify, on Jan. s, 1918. Four
teen other states took similar action
during that year, the last, Louisiana,
ratifying on Aug. 8.
In the fall elections the wet or dry
question was paramount in most OF
ASNe
no doubt that the United States was
destined to be the first great nation to
veto liquor. The ban on vodka in Rus
sia was never completely effective, nor
did it interfere materially with the con-
sumption of more expensive liquors.
Russian advices now state that the
Bolshevists. have restored the vodka
traffic.
Michigan was the first state to rat
ify in 1919, the legislature voting on
Jan. 2. From that date on legislatures
have acted rapidly. Five states rati-
fled Jan. Is, bringing the number up
to So. Other legislatures worked at
feverish speed to be the thirty-ninth,
A distillers' committee announced
that in 22 states the constitutions re-
quire a referendum vote of citizens in
order to ratify a constitutional amend
ment. They claim these states are as
follows:
South Dakota, Oregon, Nevada, Mon
tana, Oklahoma, Maine, Maryland,
Michigan, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizo-
ma, New Mexico, California, ONO, Ne
braska, Washington, North Dakota
Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas, Louis
lana and Utah.
In California court action already
has been taken to restrain the govern
or from certifying the action of the
legislature to Washington. Every re-
source Of the distillers, with $1,000
900 900 available, will be employed in
the supreme effort to save their busi-
nesses, it is said. An important meet
ing of the distillers' committee will be
held at New York on Jan. %, when it is
planned to adopt detailed program.
Dry leaders assert the distillers' at
tack was foreseen and that it is with
out merit