Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-11-19
PROHIBITION
DEFEATED
Democrats Responsible That
Local Option Was Also
Voted Down.
FINAL VOTE WAS ST TO Is
Debate Lacked Vigor and Was
One Sided, as No Defendant
OF Saloon Spoke.

The absence of eight Democrats
last evening at the close OF the after
noon session in the Constitutional
Convention, prevented the only vic
tory that the temperance advocates
had any chance to win, for the con-
vention by a vote of As to AZ turned
down the Parker local option substi-
tute, which was favored by the few
Democrats present, while the follow
ing Democrats did not vote: H. B.
Ferguson, A. II. Hudspeth, Green B.
Patterson, J. II. Crist, E. d. Patton,
George w. Childer and George E.
Moffett.
The fight was short and lacked spec
tacular features. A minority report
signed by J. G. Fitch was presented
and recommended the separate submis-
sion of statewide prohibition. His
other Democratic colleagues did not
sign It,
The minority report was laid on the
table by overwhelming vote,
w. f. Lindsey offered a substitute
for the majority report. 1t was
clean cut county option proposition
and Judge Lindsey spoke very forci-
bly, in favor of the proposition. He did
not resort to fanatical appeals but
made a clean cut business argument.
He said that the people of Portales
had now lived for eighteen months un-
der a prohibition ordinance and are
well satisfied He has been in Porta-
les since it was town of so people
and has seen it grow to a building
city of 1900 inhabitants who manage
to get along without saloons. His
personal observation has been that
the average boy graduates from the
open pool room into the open saloon
and in trying to prevent his boy from
taking that course, he had sent him
at the age of thirteen years to school
in a prohibition town. Roosevelt
county has accumulated in its court
fund a balance exceeding $4,000 or ST.
900; has reduced its tax rate for the
court fund from six to three mills on
the dollar and the Jail has stood pract-
lcally empty since the saloons have
been banished.
w. E. Garrison remarked that no
subject before this convention stands
less in need of oratory than this one.
The saloon as exists should be regul-
ated in some fashion, as is the almost
opinion for as all know,
the saloon as it now exists is product
i've of many evils. How should it be
regulated? To what extent should
communities have the right to pro-
hibit it altogether? He believes in
statewide prohibition, but since that
cannot be had, then local option
should prevail.
G. A. Richardson declared that he
had come to the convention believing
that statewide prohibition should be
submitted. and thus be re-
moved from the field of politics. The
people have a right to decide this as
they have a right to pass on other
questions. / believe the failure to
submit a prohibition clause will cost
the constitution several thousand
votes. I do not favor the Lindsey
substitute at this particular time. My
personal preference is local option
law but my people are opposed to
county option for they fear after it is
written into the constitution there will
be but little chance of substituting
therefore prohibition clause. Ninety
per cent of the voters of Chaves coun-
ty are in favor of separate submis-
sion I do not say that 80 per cent
would vote in the affirmative on the
question, but they want to vote on 1t.
E. S. Slower said that he was pledg-
ed to separate submission, but would
vote for local option. He read an ar
ticle from the Topeka Capital demon
strating the blessings that prohibition
had brought to the Santa re railroad
employees in Kansas.
The Lindsey substitute was voted
down.
Frank w. Parker offered local OPP
ion substitute, which embodied an ini-
iative proposition. Upon petition of
)ne third of the voters of county,
he question may be submitted. If
carried, then such precincts and
owns as vote for prohibition may
)anish the saloons. This amendment
ound the greatest favor, for on roll
,all, it had AZ votes for it anu only 4S
5otes against it and would have car
led, if eight absent Democrats had
,een at their post of duty, for en-
)odying the initiative and at the same
ime local option they could not well
lave voted against it without violat-
ng their platform pledges.
George w. Prichard, by request,
another substitute, virtual
y providing for state wide prohibi-
ion, but on the state dispensary plan.
R. w. Heflin said that rs per cent
If the people of San Juan county
avor state wide prohibition but that
le would vote for county option if
he former cannot be obtained.
c. R. Brice asserted that he was
elected on a platform for separate-sub.