El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-07
STRONG EFFORTS TO
KILL PROHIBITION
Liquor Interests Are Said to
Be Circulating Petition
in Their Behalf.
(By Horace H. shelton.)

tBN Horace II. OHc4lON-J
Austin Texas, Sept. There is now
on foot in Texas a move having for its
evident uprpose the confusion of the
voters OF Texas in case the next legis-
Iature submits a constitutional proh1-
bition amendment Such trick was
successful two years ago when the
Democrats first voted on the subm1s-
sion question. The men circulating
the petition probably hope to raise in
the minds of the citizens the fear that
the defeat of the prohibition amend
fent means the wiping out of local OPP
ton laws and the making of dry terri
tory wet Such an issue could only
confuse the most ignorant
The Petition.
The petition being circulated. it is
rumored by money advanced by the
liquor interests of Texas. is as follows:
ITO the honorable governor o. B. Col
quit and Thirty-second legislature:
Your subscribers are voters of the state
of Texas and have an interest in the
policies of government and the Wellbe-
ing Of society.
Pursuant TO the instructions given
in the primaries of July 23 1910, and
the further Instructions by the late
Democratic platform, you will submit
to the voters of Texas constitutional
amendment prohibiting the liquor traf-
fic
Provided you submit the aforesaid
amendment it is prayed that along
with and at the same time said pro-
posed amendment is submitted you
also submit to the people for their
choice as between prohibition and To-
cal option. the ensuing local option
amendment, viz:
Section 20. The legislature shall at
its first session enact a law whereby
q oil
or subdivision of a county, by a major
fty vote, from time to time. may de-
termine whether importation, manu-
factCre. gift. exchange, sale and all 9TH
er dispositions Of intoxicating liquors
shall be prohibited within the pre-
scribed limits. except for purposes be-
yond the evils under regulations Of
law"
Absurdity of measure.
The meat in the cocoanut is in the
words Ito the people for their choice
as between prohibition and local OPP
ton"
This would indicate a man who voted
for prohibition voted against local OPP
ton, which of course is absurd The
defeat of the proposed constitutional
amendment providing for statewide
prohibition cannot in any way affect
present conditions so far as local OPP
is defeated the districts now local op-
ton will remain local option. If it is
adopted local option will simply be ex-
tended from districts TO cover the state
The proposed amendment is absurd
on its face. The present constitution,
which will remain unchanged if the
prohibition amendment is defeated, GER
tainly makes ample provision for local
option laws. The laws now in effect
admitted to be wise ones and suscepti-
bic of being made as stringent as leg
islature cares to write them, are made
under the existing constitution and
Will remain just they are after the
election.
Many PrOhibitiOnEsts Sign,
Under the guise of plausible argu-
ments the men circulating the petition
are getting many signatures from pro-
hihitionists but to the credit of the
Judgment of the prOhibitionists be it
said, the majority of the signers are
pronounced ants.
The wise prohibitiOniSt will not let
himself be drawn into any trap which
will confuse the issue or possibly divide
the forces The fight should be made
along the one line, prohibition or anti
prohibition. Every well informed man
knows what that means. When the Is
sue is submitted every voter will be
In position to cast his ballot as his
conscience and Judgment dictate.