Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1914-08-01
Would This Law Remedy the Evil.

HloSC CldoIiS, oiiu We hiit,iC say Va
cellent constitution, but the thoughtless
ones now purpose making this constitu-
ton the dumping ground for every class
of impotent eminations. Legislating
by way of constitutional amendments
should at all times be deprecated, and
it is to be hoped that the people of Ari-
IONA will sit hard upon every measure
that is not entitled to be classed as a
basic law. Fifteen initiated measures
are proposed to be voted upon and pos
sibly with one exception each and every
one is unworthy of consideration. Our
readers must not take it that we are
opposed to some of these measures as
laws, but we do oppose them as articles
of our constitution. Three Of these
amendments contemplate the appropria-
ton of money, propositions that will be
dead material as soon as the purpose of
their initiation has passed, and some of
the others are so drastic as basic laws
that no sane or reasonable man would
or should give them his support. One
of these is that of what is known as
the Estate wide prohibition amendment
to the Constitution. This measure is
on its face such an absurd proposition
that it is sure to create sentiment
against it even among the people that
are seeking the abolition of the liquor
traffic. Everyone that reads and thinks
know that throughout the Union the
sentiment against the liquor traffic is
becoming more and more pronounced
and that in many of the states ways
and means are being devised to prevent
its extension or to procure it's entire
eradication. The enfranchisement of
women in Arizona has caused fanatics
to come forward with all kinds of
propositions for remedial legislation
along prohibition lines, but it was up to
a few people in the Salt River valley
and other agricultural sections of the
State to bring forward one of the most
harmful measures ever proposed in any
state of the Union. Iowa and Kansas
have very strict laws for the regula-
ton of the liquor traffic, but these are
mild apperient when taken with the
Rinehart measure. In the drafting of
the measure no consideration was given
it widespread effects, nor was there
man with knowledge of business law
called in to give aid and advice in its
construction. 1t calls for a law with
which no legislature can deal other
than to provide the means to carry it
into life, nor can the people remedy it
without another amendment to the con-
stitution abrogating it. That our
people may know just what this
measure is we give it in full:
BE 1T ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE
OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA:
THAT the Constitution Of the State
'of Arizona be and is hereby amend
led by adding thereto another ar
"ticle, the same to be numbered
'xxIil, and to read as follows, to-
"wit:
Section I. Ardent spirits, ale,
"beer, wine, or Intoxicating liquor
cor liquors of whatever kind shall
"not be manufactured in, or intro
'duced into the State of Arizona
"under any prctense. Every person
''who sells, exchanges, gives, bar
tiers, or disposes of any ardent
Spirits, aIes, beer, wine, or intoxi-
''catins liquors Of any kind, to any
"person in the State of Arizona, or
'who manufactures, or introduces
into, or attempts to introduce into
''the State Of Arizona any ardent
spirit, ale, beer, wine or intoxica-
''tins liquor of any kind, shall be
guilty of misdemeanor and upon
conviction shall be imprisoned for
mot less than ten days nor more
than two years, and fined not less
than twenty-five dollars and costs
'nor more than three hundred dol
lars and costs for each offense,
provided, that nothing in this
amendment contained shall apply
ito the manufacture or sale of
"denatured alcohol.
Section 2. The legislature
"shaIl by appropriate legislation
"provide for the carrvip ~ into axso..
"of this amendment.