The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-01-29
BONE-DRY Law
BECOMES VALID
Prohibition Amendment Now
Part Of Federal Con-
Stitution.
EFFECTIVE JAN. is, 1920
State Department Officially
Announces Ratification by
Necessary Legislatures.
EFFECTIVE JAN. is, 1920


Washington, Jan. 2s.--Acting Sec
retary of State Polk today formally
certified the ratification of the na-
tional prohibition amendment by the
necessary thirty-six states of the
Union. The certification was made
in the presence of former Secretary
of State william J. Bryan, Senator
Sheppard, of Texas, and others who
were prominent workers for prohibi-
ton.
Text Of Proclamation.
The proclamation follows:
Frank L. Polk, acting secretary of
state of the United States of Amer
lea:
ITO all whom the presents shall
come. greetings:
know We that the congress of the
United States. at the second session,
Sixty-fifth congress, begun at WASH
ington on the third day of December,
in the year one Thousand nine hum
dred and seventeen, passed a resolu-
tion in the words and the figures fol-
lowing. to wit:
"Joint resolution proposing an
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States:
Resolved, by the senate and
house of representatives of the United
States of America, In congress- as
sembled (two- thirds of each house
concurring therein), that the follow
ing amendment to the Constitution
be. and hereby Is, proposed to the
states, to become valid as a part of
the Constitution when ratified by the
legislatures of the several states as
provided by the Constitution.
"sectiop /. After one year from
the ratification of this article, the
manufacture, sale. or transportation
of intoxicating liquors within. the
importation thereof into, or the ex-
States and all territories subject to
the jurisdiction thereof for beverage
purposes is hereby prohibited.
Power to Enforce Act.
"'Sec. 2. The congress of the sew
eral states shall have concurrent
power to enforce this article by ap-
propriate legislation.
"'Section 8. This article shall be
imperative unless 1t shall have been
ratified as an amendment to the con-
stitution by the legislature of the
several states. as provided in the
constitution within seven years from
the date of the submission thereof to
the states by the congress- 5gs n
And, further. that itsappears from
official documents on file in this de-
partment that the amendment to the
constitution of the United States
proposed as aforesaid has been
ratified by the legislature Of the
states of Alabama, Arizona, Califor-
mia. Colorado. Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,
Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Ne
braska- New Hampshire. North Caro-
lima, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,
OREGON. South Dakota, South Caro-
lima, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washing
ten, West Virginia, Wisconsin and
Wyoming.
Amendment Now Valid.
"And further, that the states whose
legislatures have so ratified the pro-
posed amendment constitute three
fourths of the whole number of states
in the United States.
NOW, therefore, be II known that
7, Frank 1 Polk. acting secretary Of
state of the United States, by virtue
and in pursuance of Section 205, of
the revised statutes of the United
States, do hereby certify that the
amendment aforesaid has become
valid to all intents and purposes as a
part of the constitution Of the United
States.
"ln testimony whereof. have here
unto set my hand and caused seal
of the department of state to be
affixed.
Done at the city of Washington
this twenty ninth day Of January. in
the year of our lord, one thousand
nine hundred and nineteen.
FRANK L. POLK,
Acting Secretary Of State"
The proclarsation is dated today,
but legal authorities OF the depart
ment say ratification was accom-
plished when the thirty-sixth state
acted favorably on Jan. 16, and that
under the terms of the amendment
itself prohibition becomes effective
one year from that date.
The proclamation was signed by
Mr.. Polk exactly at 11:20 am. in the
presence of Senator Sheppard, of
Texas, author of the resolution; for
mer Secretary Bryan, Representative
Chas. H. Randall, of California, pro-
hibitionist member of the house. and
officials of the Antisaloon League of
America, the Women's Christian
Temperance union and other anti
saloon organizations.
Mr.. Polk used several pens in af-
fixing his signature and presented
them to Senator Sheppard. MIR.
Bryan, Representative Randall and