Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-09-26
PROHIBITION
IN OKLAHOMA
Governor Cruce Tells How the
Policy Has Succeeded
in that State s
WORKED WONDERFULLY WELL
mo Good Argument Can Be Used to
Overthrow Prohibition" Asserts
He ExeelIeney, Who Knows
What He Is Talking
About.

IBy Lee Cruce, Governor OF OKlanomal
/ don't know that I could give you
the best possible argument favorable
TO statewide prohibition. This Is a
tremendous question, and the argu'
ment / might think most favorable
some other man might consider Of sec
ondary Importance.
We have had this question before
the people of Oklahoma for number
Of years. 1t was one Of the leading
questions at the time the Constitution
was adopted, and at the time the prop
osition was submitted to our people In
the form of a Constitutional provision
providing for statewide prohibition
The people Of Oklahoma, by a major
lily Of about 1900 votes, adopted that
provision as a part of the Constitution
Of the state.
OF course, the local option element
In the state and the open-saloon ele'
ment continued hostile to the prohibi.
ton law and did all they could to rem.
der Its enforcement Objectionable to
the people of the state and as little ef'
fective as possible.
Acting under a provision of our Con.
stitution which permits the people to
invoke the Initiative, an amendment
was prepared and initiated by the peo'
pie of the state who favored open sa.
looms, asking for repeal of the pro.
hibition provision Of the Constitution.
This proposition was submitted to the
people at the last general election held
in this state in November, 1910. At
that time the people again, by a ma
jority of more than $4,000, declared
In favor of statewide prohibition.
The law in this state has worked
wonderfully well, and while there are
plenty Of people here who make the
bold assertion that 1t has been fail
ure, yet when you investigate their an
tecedents you will find that In every
case they are men who have fought
prohibition from the beginning.
think that / am not at all extrava
CANT when say that not one third as
much whisky Is consumed In Okla
bona under our present law as would
be consumed In this state II We had
open saloons. That the law Is violated,
no one will deny, and 30 Is every 9th
or law that We have upon the statute
books Of Oklahoma. When you con
slider the fact that there are thousands
Of people in the state who were VIC
lently opposed to the enactment Of the
law, 1t is remarkable that there are
not more violations Of the prohibition
law than occur in this state.
The law, upon the whole, Is as well
enforced as any other law upon the
statute books which deals with SIM
liar situation. 1t Is much better en-
forced than the law against gambling
In this state. 1t Is a desirable law
from every standpoint. Looking at 1t
from the moral viewpoint, 1t tends TO
better citizenship and better govern
ment. From the economical stand
point, 1t is clearly demonstrated that
1t means better homes, better food and
better clothing for thousands Of wom-
en- and children In this state.
There Is absolutely no good argu-
ment that can be used to overthrow
prohibition. The usual plea behind
which Its opponents hide is that 1t is
a sumptuary law and therefore Is un-
American. 1t is no more an invasion