The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1928-07-01

lima end Rhode Island ratified. IN
fact these states at first defeated ratifi-
cation, and finally came in under neces-
Sity-they we're only making the best of a
bad situation. Hence, the Constitution
received the support of only 84.59 per
cent of all the states-15.41 per cent de-
MED it support The first ten amend
ments lacked the support of three states
out of ID; Connecticut, Massachusetts and
Georgia regarding them SO lightly as to
ignore them altogether, at least there is
no record of any action-only 1858 per
cent ratified, 2142 per cent refused.
The Eleventh Amendment was ratified
by II out of Is states, or 1926 per cent
for, and 2674 per cent refusing. The
Twelfth Amendment was acted upon
favorably by - out of II states, or 76.48
per cent for, and 1882 per cent? against.
Nine states failed to support the
Thirteenth and 81 ratified, making 1907
per cent for, and 2493 per cent against"
Six ratified Subsequently, after it went into
effect. Six states failed to ratify the
Fourteenth. Thirty supported, making
1898 per cent for, and 1862 per cent
against
Out of 81 states eight failed to ratify
the Fifteenth Amendment, or 1916 per
cent for and 81 "a per cent against" Ten
states out of 48 refused to ratify the Six
tenth, or 80 per cent for and 20 per cent
against. Twelve out of 48 states opposed
the Seventeenth, or rs per cent for and 25
per cent against Eleven states thus far
have refused the Nineteenth or 7791 per
cent for, and 2209 per cent against" OF
the 48 states, all but two have ratified the
Eighteenth Amendment or 95.98 per cent
for, and only 400 per cent against.
THE EIGHTEENTH AMENDMENT AND
PUBLIC SENTIMENT
In view of these statistics this last
amendment was more III accord with pub
lie sentiment than the Constitution itself
by 1139 per cent; more than the Bill Of
Rights (firSt 10 amendments) by ia per
cent; more than the Eleventh Amend
ment by 22.72 per cent; more than the
Twelfth by 1875 per cent; it outdid the
Thirteenth by 20.91 per cent; the Four
tenth was distanced by the Eighteenth
by 1876 per cent; the Fifteenth by 1882
per cent; the Sixteenth by 1898 per cent;
the Seventeenth by 20.98 per cent; and
the Nineteenth by 1907 per cent.
Before National prohibition came, SO
states had laws of their own, and either
by statewide action or local option voted
1886 counties of the whole country dry,
leaving only 305 where liquor was legal.
As to Congressional and legislative action
on the Eighteenth Amendment, the vote
in both branches OF Congress stood BAT
for, and 148 against. In the 48 state
legislatures SOTO voted to ratify and 1265
voted against. Thus we find when COM
pared with the Publications of the Con-
stitution, and all the other amendments,
or when compared with the adverse vote
in Congress and the legislatures in the
aggregate, the Eighteenth Amendment
makes a far better showing with the pub
lie than any other like action in the his
tory of our country. It's validity, in the
light of history, customs precedent, rules
and regulations of our deliberatiVe bodies,
stands unimpeached and inpregnable be-
fore the whole world. And from the be-
ginning of its journey to the end, having
to run the gauntlet of a tWo-third ma
jority of two houses of Congress- and ma
iorities of IS branches Of state legisla-
lures, and having successfully run both
of the former overwhelmingly, and having
run 90 of the latter, and failed in only
three, for one branch of the 47th state
ratified; the Eighteenth Amendment may
riehtfully be said to have been sanctioned
by the sound Of Public Opinion of Amer
lea.
'OCarnegie Endowment for International
Peace D. 43.