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The Commoner
VOL 15, NO. 8
20
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Prohibition Makes Gains
Associated Press Correspondence.
A canvass by the Associated press
of legislative activity this year in the
state law-making bodies of the coun
try, most of which have adjourned
for the summer, shows that among
tho subjects which received notable
attention was that of the prohibition
or the regulation of tho liquor traillc.
Tho legislatures of two states en
acted statutory prohibition to be
come effective this year, and eight
voted to submit the question of state
wide prohibition to a referendum of
the people. Of the latter, two estab
lished statutory prohibition to be
come offectlve in the meantime. Four
states where prohibition is already
effective passed additional restrictive
laws, and two of tho Ave states,
where, under constitutional amend
ment, prohibition is to go Into effect
next year, enact-' necessary statutes
for its enforcement. In six of the
so-called "wet" etates, state-wide pro
posals met defeat. In others
questions of local option, transporta
tion and licensing were acted upon.
Tho two sta es where direct pro
hibition laws were passed are Florida
and Alabama. Those whoso legisla
tes voted to submit the question to
the people are Idaho, Iowa, Montana,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah,
Vermont and the torritory of Alaska.
In Iowa the legislative resolution, ac
cording to the 3tate constitution,
must be passed by the next succeeding
legislature, before the people can
vote on It, but tho state returned to
statutory prohibition ifreanwhile,
through the repeal of the so-called
mulct law. Idaho was also made
"dry" meanwhile through statutory
enactment In Utah the bill was ve
toed by tho governor after the legis
lature adjourned. In South Carolina
the vote will bo taken at the election
this year; in Montana, South Dakota,
Vermont artel Alaska, in 1916; Idaho
in 1916.
It will be thut, seen that as a meas
ure of tin progress of the cause of
prohibition the fifleen states already
CLAIM NO. 50
Robert E. Noitzel was one of the
early policyholders in THE MID
WEST LIFE, his policy being 996. It
in the ranks have this year been en
forced by four, and the legislative
way cleared for four others, including
Alaska, to join. In the latter event
nearly half the country will have
placed the ban on the liquor traffic.
The new Florida law goes into ef
fect October 1, an.1, prohibits the sale
of alcoholic beverages except in
sealed packages of less than one-half
pint each, nor can iquor be drunk
on the premises where sold. This ap
plies to restaurants, hotels and clubs
as well as saloons.
The Alabama law was, passed over
the veto of Governor Henderson. It
became operative July 1. In addi
tion, the legislature enacted an anti
shipping law, which forbids the ship
ping to an individual of more than
one gallon of liquor or sixty bottles of
beer a month. Its validity was taken
to the supreme court for test.. There
was also passed, over the governor's
veto, an act forbidding the publica
tion of liquor advertisements in news
papers and periodicals, on billboards
or in saloons. Th'3 was also taken
to the courts.
In Iowa, the repeal of the mulct
law, under which communities by a
majority petition were allowed to
have saloons operated under a mulct
tax, had the effect of returning the
state to the statutory prohibition.
which prevailed prior to the law's
enactment twelve years ago. Content
neither with this nor the passage of
the resolution for a constitutional
prohibition amendment, the legisla
ture also enacted eleven prohibition
enforcement bills.
- IDAHO'S IS DRASTIC
In adopting statutory prohibition,
pending the constitutional amend
ment vote, Idaho enacted, a provision
conceded to be more drastic than an
ever attempted in the United States.
It makes even' ownership of liquor a
misdemeanor, and on second offense,
a felony.
The Montana legislature decided to
refer the question to the people at
the 1916 election, in the form of a
statute, after rejecting a proposed
constitutional amendment vote. The
law -would permit the use of wines
for sacramental purposes and in lodge
ceremonial work. If approved, it
will become effective December 31,
1918. In connection with the meas
ure, the legislature enacted early
was dated October 28, 1907. He was -closing and Suuday-closing laws for
uiu saioons.
then cashier of tho bank of Watorloo,
located at Waterloo, Nebraska. Later
he moved to Murphy, Idaho, where
ho met his death by drowning on the
12th day of June, 1915.
Mr. Neitzol had paid the company
$213.42 in premiums and the com
pany paid his wife, as beneficiary
under his policy, $1,000, or nearly
$5.00 for eveijy one received by it.
Through the expenditure of a small
sum each year, Mi. Neltzel created
this ''estate for his widow.- It was a
wjiso and thoughtful act on his part
as it is on the part of everyone who
has others depending upon him for
support.
The Mid west Life
of LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
STOCK COMPANY SELLING
tVMANTEED COST LIFE INSURANCE
The general assembly of South
Carolina took up a large part of the
session in discussing prohibition. Be
sides drafting a state-wide law for
submission to a referendum at the
election of September 12, 1915, the
assembly enacted a statute which
makes effective in the state the pro
visions of the Webb-Kenyon federal
act again3t the shipment of liquor
from "wet" to "dry" territory. South
Carolina being no,7 local option. The
statute also forbid 3 the shipment of
more man one gallon of alcoholic
liquors to any one person in tho state
during any one month.
The South Dakota legislature, de
cided to submit a state-wide consti
tutional amendment to the general
election in 1916. If carried by a ma
jority of the votes cast it will become
effective July 1, 1917. , "
The state-wide prohibition meas
ure which the governor of Utah ve
toed after the adjournment of the
legislature of that state had been
passed by large majorities in both
houses. The legislature, however
placed on the statute books a law
modeled after the Webb-Kenyon law
and imposing heavy penalties for the
shipment of liquor from "wet" to
"dry" territory in th& state.
, Vermont's prohibition proposal
was in th form of a law which ivill
be submitted to the people at the mu
nicipal elections in the spring of
1916. If passed, its effect will be
drastic, as it makes no provision for
the sale of liquor for medical and
mechanical purposes.
The four prohibition states which
decided to strengthen their present
laws were Kansas, North Carolina,
Tennessee and West Virginia. The
Kansas measure . approach the unique
in prohibition legislation. Two were
passed, one providing that the muni
cipality where liquor is sold is liable
for damage for injury to persons or
property resulting from intoxication.
The other, which is aimed at those
who permit so-called "keg parties" to
be held on their premises, imposes
similar liability upon the owner of
property where liquor is sold or given
away.
North Carolina jmssed an antiship
ping act, known there as tho "anti
ju act" which forbids the shipment
to and receipt by any one person of
more than one quart of. spirituous
liquors and five gallons of malt bev
erage every fifteen days.
TENNESSEE OUSTER LAW
Tennessee, where the prohibition
laws have not been strictly enforced
in the larger cities, it is said, passed
an ouster law, modeled after a Kan
sas statute, which provides for the
removal from office of state, county
or city officials (other than liolders
of constitutional offices) who fail to
enforce the laws of the state. The
legislature also enacted measures
forbidding social and fraternal clubs
to dispense liquor or maintain lock
ers for members; placing the super
vision of soft-drink stands under the
pure food and drug department and
forbidding them to sell beverages
containing more than per cent al
cohol and prohibiting drug stores
from selling intoxicants except on
bona fide prescription given to per
sons who actually are m.
West Virginia enacted amendments
to the Yost prohibition law limiting
shipments of liquor into the state and
forbidding a person to have liquor in
a public place even for his own use.
Nor hereafter can any one in West
Virginia give a drink to another ex
cept in his own home, home being
specified as a permanent place of res
idence, not a hotel or other public
place.
All attempts to revise the prohibi
tion laws of Oklahoma were defeated.
In Oregon, where prohibition be
comes effective in January next, as
the result of previous action by the
voters on a constitutional amendment,
the legislature enacted a law to en
force the amendment. The law pro
hibits the manufacture of intoxicat
ing liquor in the state and its sale
except on physician's prescription or
for scientific, sacramental or mechan
ical uses. It allows a limited amount
to be imported by the heads of fam
ilies. A law for a similar purpose was
enacted in Colorado, where a nrohi-
bition amendment goes into effect the
same date. The Colorado law for
bids the buying, selling and giving
away of liquor except for medical or
sacramental purposes and prohibits
common carriers from transporting
liquor into the state except for law
ful purposes this includes the trans
portation to individuals who must
sign a receipt that the liquor is for
their own use. The law contains a
search and seizure urnvisinn mi a
gives the governor $10,000 yearly for
its enforcement.
The legislature of Washington,
where prohibition is also effective
in January next, ignored Governor
iBiKABnSSaIieBt lr an appropriation
of $50,000 to enforce the law
The liquor traffic in Arkansas, hav
ing been banned by the previous
legislature with p. law wiii-i, nw
wise-takes effect in January, was not
- m ah.mJ J u A. i m
ujj lui tuuBiuerauon tills year Vir
ginia, which goes into the "dry" col"
umn in November, 1916, held no
legislative session this year.
SEVERAL DEFEATS
State-wide prohibition proposals
met defeat in Connecticut, Indiana
Michigan, New Mexico, New York and
Wyoming. The question was before
the general assembly of Connecticut
as a proposed constitutional amend
ment, which the legislators declined
to send to the next assembly for
ratification. The legislature, however
increased tho cost of retail liquor li
censes 66 2-3 per cent, and for the
first time place! social and fraternal
organizations serving liquors to mem
bers under excise regulation. In In
diana a state-wide measure died in
a committee of the lower house.
In Michigan tho question promised
to be one of the features of the ses
sion, but nothing came of it. A bill
was introduced into the senate pro
viding for the submission of statu
tory prohibiten to the vote of the
people at a general election next year,
but the prohibition leaders them
selves voted against it after the liquor
faction has attached certain amend
ments to it which, in the opinion of
the "drys," defeated the purpose of
tho bill.
While a strong effort was made in
the New Mexico legislature to secure
action on a constitutional amendment
resolution, the issue was not allowed
to come to a vote in either house. In
New Yprk all measures designed to
have a 'state-wide effect on the liquor
traffic were killed, and in Wy online
the issue was twice before the legis
lature in proposals for a constitution
al amendment, and twice defeated.
Both "wet" and "dry" measures
failed of enactment in Illinois. They
were all killed by the house. The
temperance measures introduced pro
vided for residence district option,
for stricter enforcement of the anti
liqUor laws in prohibition territory
and against treating. The "wets"
did not push their bill providing for
home rule in the handling of the li
quor problem, and their bill repeal
ing the township option law.
In New Jersey ana Pennsylvania
county local option met defeat, but
was established by Minnesota. The
latter state also enacted u"road
house" bill, prohibiting the issuance
of saloon licenses to establishments
outside of cities and villages.
The only action taken by the Ohio
legislature, was the passage of a law
maKing state and county licensing oi
ficials elective instead of appointive,
thus "decentralizing" the licensing
system. The law was opposed by the
so-called "liberal" interests. The Mas
sachusetts lawmakers passed a bill to
prevent the shipment of liquor from
license to no-license communities, but
it was vetoed by the governor. A bill
forbidding the use of inclosed booths
in restaurants where liquor is sold
became a law. v
California, a local option state,
passed a measure forbidding the sale
of liquor to persons with Indian blood
in their veins or white persons as
sociating '-with them. The legislature
defeated, however, a bill creating a
mile .. "dry" zone around normal
schools and, universities.
Governor Ferguson of Texas, hav
ing b'een elected on a platform OPPOS
ITION oil Knnnn nvUatlnn fliQ nllPsHOIl
was left practically untouched in that
state. He vetoed the only liquor bill
passed. The measure would have Te
duced the tax on wholesale druggists
selling alcohol. In Delaware the anti
shipping law passed in 1913, which
prohibited the shipment of liquor in
to Kent and Sussex counties, which
were "dry," was repealed. The court
having decided that the law could
not keep out interstate shipments, the
result was that dealers outside the
state, could makfi shipments into
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