Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-01-08
Domestic Affairs

Domestic Affairs
The return of the United States to
condition of peace was not accom-
plished easily. Unusual conditions ex-
listed and the people Of the country
were confronted with problems that
had been unknown in the days before
the war.
The adoption of nationwide prohi-
bition and the submission by congress
of the constitutional amendment for
complete wOman'S suffrage were i'm
pOrtant events of the year. Ratitica-
tiOn of the national prohibition amend
ment came early in the year with a
rapidity that surprised the nation. On
January 90 the state department pro-
claimed the ratification Of the amend
ment and set January 49, 1920, as the
date when it would become effective.
On January Attorney General Greg
DRY rendered his resignation, to become
effective March 4, and A. Mitchell Pal
mer, was appointed to succeed him on
February q. On January II Walker
d. Hines was appointed director gem
eral of railroads to succeed William
G. McAdoo.
The governments first blow at the
radicals during the year was deliv-
cred on January when Congressman
Victor L. Berger and four other So
calist leaders were found guilty by
a federal jury in Chicago of conspiring
to interfere with the successful con-
duct of the war. On February IS they
were sentenced to 20 years imprison-
ment.
On March 2 Herbert Hoover was
appointed by the president to be di-
rector general of American relief
among the population of Europe.
Because of the necessity for legis-
latiOn to meet the new after-war con-
ditions, President Wilson on May Z, by
cable from Paris, called a special ses-
sion of congress to convene May 49,
On May 10 the campaign for the Vic
tory Liberty loan, the last popular war
loan, closed with heavy oversub-
scription of the $4500,000,0O0 bond
issue.
The special session of the Sixty
sixth congress opened on May 10 with
she Republicans in control of both
house and senate for the first time
since 1912. The house of representa-
tives was organized by the election Of
Congressman Gillett of Massachusetts
as speaker. In the senate Senator
Cummins of Iowa was elected presi-
dent pro TEN.
One of the first acts of the new
house was to pass the woman suffrage
amendment to the Constitution by a
vote of 304 to 80. The amendment
was again brought up in the senate on
June and this time was adopted by
a vote of SO to %.
The activities of anarchistic ele-
ments were manifested on June 2
when bombs were exploded simultan-
eously at the residences of ten men in
eight Eastern cities.
On July l the wartime emergency
prohibition act went into effect and
for the first time in history the sale
of liquor was Illegal throughout the
United States. On July II President
Wilson vetoed the agricultural appro-
priation bill because Of a rider" re-
pealing the daylight saving law. Con-
gress promptly passed separate bill
repeating the daylight saving law and
when President Wilson vetoed this
measure, both houses passed the bill
over his veto on August 20.
The country was aroused during the
summer by a series of race riots, the
first of which occurred In Washington
on July q. Four persons were killed
in the rioting at the capital. On July
81 the most serious race riots Of the
year began in Chicago. 1t was found
necessary to call out state troops and
before order had been restored 33
persons had been killed and hundreds
injured.
In recognition Of the services which
he rendered as commander-in-chief of
the American expeditionary forces,
General Pershing was made general
for life by act Of congress. His COM
mission was handed to him as he
landed on September 8 at New York
with the First division.