The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-08-19
ANTI-6EER BILL GIVEN
AN o. X. BY THE SENATE
Amendment Passes Requiring Dry
Agents to Procure Search War
rants Before Entering Premises.

Washington, ID. C.-DeSplte an uneX'
pected display OF wet strength, the
senate, by a vote Of 80 to 20, passed
the Campbell-Willis bill prohibiting
physicians from prescribing beer as
medicine and otherwise amending the
Volstead prohibition enforcement
act.
Wet forces, however, succeeded IN
mastering such a formidable array OF
Of votes that they were able TO com
/ pei the adoption Of amendments, one
Of them SO important as to call rorth
vehement protests from dry leaders
that it would nullify the Volstead law.
This amendment was offered by
Senator Stanley, Of Kentucky. 1t is
designed to put an end to some or
the practices Of prohibition agents
which have been the cause of /
spread complaint. 1t provides a fine
Of $1,000 and imprisonment for n
year for prohibition agents or any
government employe engaged in en-
forcement Of prohibition or any other
law who searches or attempts to
search property or the premises OF
any person without securing a search
warrant.
Senator Willis, Of Ohio, Senator
Sterling, of South Dakota, and Senator
Nelson Of Minnesota, who led the fight
for the anti-beer bill, denounced the
amendment in the strongest language.
They declared that it would render the
enrocement Of the prohibition law
virtually impossible. ,
Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts,
republican leader, urged adoption or
the Stanley amendment. He read the
fourth amendment to the constitution
guaranteeing persons and property
against unwarranted search. He
charged that prohibition agents were
violating the constitution all over the
country.
Those who violate the fourth
amendment should be punished juts as
those who violate the eighteenth
amendment" said Senator Lodge.
Senator Nelson insisted that the
amendment would encourage bootleg
gers" He said it would render author
tiles virtually powerless to halt
whisky running over the Canadian
boundary.
If this law cannot be enforced with
out violating the bill Of rights and
without robbing property of it's priv
acy and sanctity it is time that the
country knew about it," retorted Sen
ator Stanley.
Senator Williams. of Mississippi,
declared that if a prohibition agent
held him up and attempted to search
his property without warrant Of law
he would knock him down" And if |
was not big enough to knock him
down, I'd try a gun on him." he added.
Senator Borah, of Idaho, an ardent
dry, joined in urging adoption of the
Stanley amendment, because, be said,
it was time congress look steps TO
compel obedience to the constitution
in all laws as well as in prohibition
enforcement.
Senator Willis commended that the
amendment would nullify the whole
prohibition law by tying the hands Of
the enforcement agents"
The amendment, however. gained 50
much support that the drys finally
bowed to it's adoption without demand.
ing a roll call.
Whether the amendment will sur.
vive in conference with the house re-
mains to be seen, but the vets are de.
termined to make a hard fight for it.
They regarded its adoption as the
most important victory since the en-.
actment Of the prohibition law.