The Day Washington State Went Dry
After a hard-fought political battle and a landmark Supreme Court ruling, the state's 1,200 saloons were ordered to shutter their doors as statewide prohibition became the law of the land.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Washington state goes dry January 1, 1916. The people so voted on initiative bill No. 3 at the general election in 1914. The supreme court has sustained the constitutionality of the initiative and referendum amendment to the state constitution in 1912. As a result, the 1,200 saloons in Washington, or as many of them as are still open, will go out of business, as will all breweries, and the 8,000 or more men engaged in the liquor business will seek new employment. The revenues from liquor will fall off $1,000,000. The decision of the court handed down December 10 is long—covering 58 typewritten pages—and affects more people directly and indirectly than any other decision by the supreme court. The suit to test the validity of the dry law was started before Thurston County superior court in December 1914, just before the governor issued his proclamation declaring the bill carried. Governor Lister stated the enforcement of the law 'ought to have the support and assistance of all law-abiding citizens,' while Attorney General Tanner promised every effort for strict enforcement. In spite of the decision, the prohibition question will return to the voters in the next November election, when an initiative bill advocated by hotelkeepers—which would permit hotels to serve liquor in their dining rooms—will be considered.
“As a result the 1200 saloons in Washington, or as many of them as are still open, will go out of business, also all breweries, and the 8000 or more men engaged in the liquor business will seek new employment.”
Long before Washington became a leader in the movement to legalize cannabis, it was a testing ground for national prohibition. The 1916 'dry' mandate reshaped the state's social and economic landscape, proving that shifts in public morality and legislation can arrive with the speed of a single court decision, leaving entire industries to scramble for survival.
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