Sentence:  Recognizing by late April that the new law was <WSD>gutted</WSD> beyond repair, the Michigan State Temperance Society urged prohibitionists to interrogate every every political candidate on this issue and to vote only for those who would "publicly pledge" to support "the passage and enforcement of [another] law". 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  With the most important parts destroyed (often by fire), removed or rendered useless.