PROHIBITION (Lat. prohibit/0, a forbid ding, prevention, from prohibere, to forbid, pre vent, from /»-o, before, for + hairyc, to have). A form of sumptuary legislation which attempts to abolish the ma nu fa ct ore and sale of alcoholic liquors. Until after the Civil War the move ment toward prohibitive legislation in America was merely local. By that time, however, a marked change was observed in the liquor busi ness. German beer was introduced, great brew eries were built, attractive saloons were fitted Up. and other efforts were made to increase sales. One of the earliest State and national forms of prohibition forltado the sale of liquor to Indians. Sonic of the early laws enacted local option—which may he local prohibition—follow ing Connecticut's ( 18391 example. Maine was the first State to establish prohibition. The West Indian trade brought large quantities of rum into State, and in 1841i an educational campaign was carried on, which resulted in Neal Dow's law. This taw was made effective in 1851 and was finally ineorporated into the State Con stitution. In 1852 Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
and Vermont passed laws prohibiting the sale of liquor, which were subsequently repealed by the two former States. Massachusetts presents an excellent example of local option, each town vot ing to license or not to license the sale of alco holic drinks. Kansas (1880) and North and South Dakota have constitutional prohibition. Iowa passed a constitutional amendment in 1882, which was declared void. and was. superseded by a statute (1884). In 1894 the Mulct Law look its place. Prohibitory constitutional amendments have been defeated in Texas, Oregon, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and New Hampshire's statute of 1855 was repealed in the spring of 1503 and local option was adopted. In the Sonth, which is strongly for temperance, the States provide as a rule for local option by counties. For the dispensary system in South Carolina. see under that Stale.