Arizona republican., 1911-04-16
The Harm Which Has Been Done

The Harm Which Has Been Done
On Tuesday-the day after tomOr-
row-the people of Maricopa county
viii vote on the question Of prohi-
bition. In the counting of the votes
the incorporated cities and towns will
be segregated. so that the majority
in each town or city will decide there
the question for the town or city.
1t is a good thing for the public
welfare that the campaign is practi-
cally at an end.
Two weeks ago, at the beginning
Of the campaign. we referred to the
fact that a prohibition fight" is the
nastiest of all political contests. is
provocative Of the worst spirit in
humanity, and usually places brakes
upon material progress.
Events have abunGantly justified
these statements
We don't know why lit is that it
seems impossible to present such
merits as the prohibition cause pos
sesses without defamation Of the
community involved and without mis-
representation of actual conditions
So rabid, unreasonable and untruth-
full have been the assertions concern
ing conditions in Phoenix that many
Of the leading bankers and business
men of the city-men in favor of
prohibition as well as against prohi-
bition-have felt it their duty to is
sue a public statement in these
words:
we, the undersigned citizens,
strongly protest against the false and
unwarranted statements made in GER
tain newspapers and by some public
speakers regarding the conditions *
isung in the city OF Phoen.v Our
streets are not filled with drunken
and disorderly men; women are not
Insulted on our Streets, and such n
thing as "Whiskey Row" as portrayed
in such statements. DOES NOT EX-
IST. Such statements as published in
newspapers as advertisements, edi-
torials or signed statements have al
ready done great injury to the bust
ness and property interests of our
cry.
Phoenix is as peaceable and orderly
j city as can be found in the United
States, and we strongly condemn the
use Of the press to thus defame and
malign our fair city"
This statement sets forth the literal
truth. The Republican admitted 10
its columns the Objectionable adver-
tisement in question, only because a
contract to receive the advertising
had been made We have at the
same time tried to make it clear that
the advertisement was entirely mis-
leading.
The so-called whisky row" is a
block in the business center of Phoe-
nix in (which there are three saloons
For years it has been the custom of
farmers and workingmen on Satur-
day afternoons. especially. TO congre-
gate on the sidewalks in this block.
The working classes have no clubs in
which to do their visiting 1t is a
wanton insult to this class of men
to call them drunken men and dis
orderly persons. These men do not
insult women. nor do they interfere
with traffic In a live town like
Phoenix it is not always possible to
prevent congestion on the sidewalks.
In the business district, at certain
hours, the sidewalks are often crowd
ed. But the crowds are orderly and
respectful of the rights o. others. |
It is not usual. we believe, to hear
public complaint because the streets |
Of a town show crowds of people.
Let it be understood that we are
speaking of present conditions.
Some months ago, on a sidewalk of |
The block in question, it had become |
/ common thing for loafers, in addi
ion to farmers and workingmen. to
gather Among these loafers intOxi
,ated men could be found, and foul
language could be heard Women
we're never insulted or molested, but
hey were compelled to hear objec-
ionable talk The attention of the
police was called to these conditions,
md they were promptly remedied. a
policeman was stationed on the block
O make loafers move on, and that
vas the end of the trouble. Since