The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-04
Sees Many Jokers IN
Two Liquor Bills
Correspondent Points Out Instances Wherein Provisions
of Proposed Legislation Are Ludicrous; Foresees
Expensive Litigation if Either Succeeds.

Editor The Tribune There are two
liquor bills now pending IN the state leg
islatGre. One has passed the senate.
with seventeen votes in It's favor and viii
be defeated in the house. The other Is
called the official bill" and has beer in
troduccd in the house. If H. should PASS
me house II Is destined TO meet defeat
In The senate.
Thus the public will have a demonstra-
ton of the struggle Of the majority to
iulhu It's platform promises, While the
liquor men VIII get exactly what they
lave barGained and paid for 81. the
eleventh hour an unsatisfactory compro-
mise will bc enacted as the very best
mat could be done under The crcum-
These measures are full Of "iokers'
haE hidden IN maze OF definitions and
vague penalties for improbable cOuvir-
lions.
Ne wonder these twin measures arc full
OF 'jokers vi their ancestors were
JOKES or Jokers from the bluff at prohi-
,nition which the Inter Mountain Rcpub
Eears ago. as related in the Deseret
News. down to the resolution adopted
through trickery at the Ogden state
convention end interpreted later by ;hat
jack @! Jokcrs. the senior senator in
Lafayette Holbrook and other Repu5li-
cans az the Provo opera house.
Conflicting Interpretations.
That platform resolution has received
at least two rrecunciable interpretauons
might receive two more and still be open
10 engagements. For II never looks cX-
actly the same To any two legislators
nor twice alike. even TO It's makers.
NO wonder. then. there has been so
mucn raVinS. .raHting and explaining. To
the dlstress OF the party. and the shame
OF the state. No wonder a Republican
legislator from one OF the most populous
ilonal organ for duplicity and denounced
IT as n vile rag" on the floor OF the
mouse, Az of which naturally follows
deliberate attempt 10 hoodwink the
public after successful game of black
mall against the liquor men OF The state.
What the Jokers Are.
But the bills and tho jollers arc pend
ing Let us see what these iokers are.
Take senate hill No. 205. which Just
passed the senate. Section provides
that county commissioners shall have
no authority except as In section pro-
vided." And section provides that
none OF the provisions of this act shall
prevent any one now legally manufactur-
ing liquor from SO continuing Brew
cries and dlsrilleries in opera ton at the
time OF the special election may continue
to operate. Notwithstanding the result
OF any election provided for in this act
in any voting unit created hereunder"
Isn't that Il joker with n fund of gen
uine humor behind IT? lt means that
the chief campaign contributors are not
To be molested by local option elections.
In section 81 OF the bill we And that all
cities and towns. even those which have
ong Dracticed prohibition under the To-
cal option guaranteed and secured under
The present laws Of the state. are COM
ncled to go to the expense of holding
elections 10 declare themselves either
wet" or dry"
Many Handicaps.
But in the county units" all OF the
state outside these incorpora ted places
there Will be no special election unless
e5 per cert OF the legal voters petition