The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1920-01-16

When the Anti-Ssloon League was
organized its purpose was the COIN
plcte suppression Of the beverage i.u-
uof traffic. For many years lis hight
against saloons was carried on under
local option laws. Much progress
was made under these laws until man.
states were entirely dry.
! In November, 1915, Anti-Saloon
League officials and workers from all
over America met at Columbus. Ohio,
and launched tho campaign Tor Aa-
tioHal Prohibition. On December 10,
1915. committee OF LOCO organized
by the Anti Saloon League OF Amer
ca, together with similar committee
organized by the Woman's Christian
temperance Union. officially presented
10 tx mombefs of Congress the pro-
psss2sla&=s se, ,ssss,la- l.lasils, seis -alFess;-
bition amendment to the constitution
+ ct the United States. The measure
was introduced By Richmond Pearson
tIobson in the House al Representa-
tivcs on December H. l9l3 and a SIM
liar measure was introduced into the
i Senate by Senator Morris Sheppard.
! On December p. 1914, a vote on thc
resolution resulted in l97 votes in IA
yor OF the measure 10 l62 votes
against it. Since the resolution re.
qured two-thirds majority it failed
OF passage.
T Congress Submits Resolution
In December. 1910. the Judiciary
Committees OF the House and the
Senate both favorably reported the
resolution and it was placed on the
calendar of the House and Senate re
spectively 1t was, however, not
brought to a vote in either House
! during the Sixty-fourth Congress.
In the Sixty-hfth Congress the res
olution was presented in the Senate y
Senator Sheppard and III the House
/ by Edwin Y. Webb. On August J,
! 1917, the resolution was adopted by
the Senate by a vote OF 65 to 20.
On December II. 1917, the House
OF Representatives adopted the Con-
stitutional Amendment Resolution
with slight changes by vote OF 2S2
to 129 On the following day the
Senate voted to concur in the House
amendment and the joint resolution
submitting to the states the National
Prohibition Amendment was thus fin-
ally adopted.
The fact that the Prohibition move
ment knows no party lines and is
wholly non-partisan i'll character was
strikingly reflected in the vote in the
House of Representatives. OF the
Republicans l57 voted for and o.
against. OF the Democrats l4l voted
for and Cd against. The one party
Prohibitionist voted for and the soli-
tary Socialist voted against.
The Illinois delegation in the House
Of Representatives voted II for the
resolution and against. In the Sen
ate Lawrence Y. Sherman voted for
the resolution and James Hamilton
Lewis against.
The Amendment Ratified
| The first state to ratify was Missis-
| sippi The Legislature OF that state
mel on January s, 1918, and on the
same day ratified the amendment by
vote OF % to in the Senate and
o3 to 3 in the House. Fourteen addi-
tional states ratified during 1918. Or
January 10, 1910, Nebraska ratified
completing the necessary 50 for the
adoption of the amendment. By Feb
ruary 18th Pennsylvania became tho
45th state to ratify. Only three
states, Connecticut, New Jersey and
Rhode Island, with a total population
of 5,004,o54, have refused to ratify the
amendment. Illinois was the 10th
4 state TO ratifv The vote in the Sen,