The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-28
OKLAHOMA NEEDED ADVICE.

The position which B. H. Roberts
took in the convention which was
framing a state constitution for Utah,
about 10 be admitted 10 the Union,
was a most wise one and is fully borne
out by the experiences Of the new
Mr.. Roberts held that it would be un-
wise TO attempt, because practically
impossible" the prohibition OF the
sale Of liquor, either by constitutional
provision or by legislative enactment.
Oklahoma, which is in the thrOes Of
an election to remove from its organic
law a provision for statewide prohibit
ton, received the same kind of advice,
but refused to listen to #.
Mr.. Roberts was a member OF the
committee of the constitutional con-
vention to which was referred a prop
osltion to have the people decide by
vote whether a statewide prohibition
clause should be included in the con-
stitution. The majority report, which
Air. Roberts signed, opposed permit
ting the people to vote on the question
at all. It opposed giving the people
a chance to vote whether they wanted
statewide prohibition. The minority
report favored a vote by the people on
the question of statewide prohibition
as a clause of the constitution. Mr..
Roberts defended the majority report
on the floor OF the convention. Among
other things, Mr.. Roberts said:
There is another question connected
with this subject and this is rec
ognizing the impracticability OF
prohibition either by constitution
al provision or by legislative en-
actment- In consequence OF our
being surrounded by states and
territories where they may man
ufacture those 1ntOXicants as
beverages, in spite of all that we
could do they would import those
beVera ges into our territory and
they would be sold and the result
would be that we would not ma
terially lessen the evil, but We
would pay out a revenue 10 sur
rounding states and territories
that we absolutely need here in
our own state.
/ And / cannot close my eyes 70 the
fact that il would be increasing
D
people of this territory and at the
/ same time not curing the evil AT
which this prohibition clause is
leVeled.
1 believe that we can better control
this question. this evil OF intern
perance, by locating it where we
know the evil is and where it can
be under the guardianship OF the
law and strictly regulated, in
stead OF having blind institutions
about US producing evil and yet
we know not the course Of the
evil
Had Oklahoma taken the advice Of
Mr.. Roberts. which it could easily
have had by reading the proceedings
of the Utah constitutional convention
it would not be in the condition in
which It now finds itself. It's people
are seeking the power of the initiative
and referendum to repeal the prohi-
bition law. results showing that It doe:
not prohibit crimes. drunkenness and
general disorder in the state. A petit.
ton containing the names OF more
than $4,000 of the qualified voters
more than twice the number necessa.
~. was filed asking that the mattel
be brought before the people for tbs
vote.
Oklahoma finds that she has more
saloons under statewide prohibition
than other states that have local op
ton. She finds that her expense II
dealing with the consequences OF th'
liquor traffic are greater in proportion
to population than those states which
have local option or no regulation a
all of the liquor traffic. She finds tina
dealing with the results Of the liqu0
traffic means higher taxes. without TIT
consequent revenue. Oklahoma find
that the saloon being under the bal
OF the law. the only money paid on
by the saloonists is TO officers OF tn
law as graft for their protection.
During the first eleven months o