Validity of the Eighteenth Amendment

Archive Report

The Prohibition Issue Before the Supreme Court

The question of the legal validity of the 18th amendment and, hence, of the constitutionality of the National Prohibition Act and its enforcement, is raised in the case of United States v. Sprague and Howey, now awaiting decision by the Supreme Court of the United States. Oral arguments in the case were heard by the Supreme Court on January 21, 1931, and a decision by the Court is believed to be imminent. Public interest in the constitutional character of prohibition has been enhanced, meanwhile, by the report of the Wickersham Commission and the suggestion of a majority of its members that the language of the 18th amendment be revised so as to give Congress the power to “regulate ...

locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles