Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1914-10-30

The Republican of yesterday err
roneously stated that it had been an
nOunced at the Elks' theater We'd
nesday night that Mayor David 5.
Rose of Milwaukee would meet Hon
Eugene W. Chafin in debate Friday
evening at the Y. NJ. c. A. stadium.
No such announcement was made
The Arizona Local Self Government
League requested the use of the
| stadium for a meeting Wednesday
night, but the Y. M. C. A. board OF
directors passed a resolution extend
ing the use of the stadium for a joint
debate between Messrs Rose and
| Chafin. This was followed by the
receipt of a formal challenge from
Mr.. Chafin to debate the question of
following letter shows why:
your letter of the 2Sth inst. re-
ceived and contents noted
| You say in that letter that it is
only fair that the voters of Phoenix
should have an opportunity to know
both sides of the prohibition ques
ton. This in itself sounds very un-
like your previous utterances, as for
the last three months you have per-
sistently maligned every one connect
ed in any manner with the anti
prohibition movement You have
placed reputable business and pro-
fessional men of Arizona in a class
with buns, thugs and dive keepers
The spirit of fairness has been an
tirely lacking in anything you have
done or said
You challenge David S. Rose or
John 3. Wright to debate the fol
lowing question with you:
Resolved. That the prohibition
of the legalized liquor traffic is
wrong in principle, vicious in prac-
tice. powerless as remedy and
therefore should be rejected by tae
voters of Arizona
so far as the Arizona Local Self
Government league is concerned this
is not the issue in this campaign.
Any acceptance of the challenge to
debate this question would place on
| record against all forms of prohibi-
ton. inferentially. at least, many
prominent business and professional
men of Arizona, who are not opposed
TO the theory of prohibition. Many
of those opposing the prohibitionists
in this campaign are doing so on the
sole ground that the proposed amend
ment is so extremely drastic that,
If enforced, it would work a ire
mendous hardship on the state, and
if not enforced would make the Law
a farce and Arizona the laughing
| stock of the nation.
The issue in this campaign. so
far as we are concerned, is not the
legalized prohibition of the liquor
traffic Many of our members. like
you, believe that national prohibition
IS the only solution of the liquor
problem. Like you, if you are of the
same mind as you were four years
ago in the city of Globe, they be-
lieve also that statewide prohibition
has proven a failure. The league be-
lieves in local option, and prohibition
under local option, if the majority OF
the people in a community desire il
and can enforce it.
'The issue of this campaign is the
proposed prohibition amendment and
nothing else, except as to you per
sonally. your senatorial ambitions.
Therefore, the Arizona Local Self
Government league considers that the
question you propose to debate is in
no sense an issue before the voters
of Arizona. 1t requires no stretch
of the imagination or power of CLAIR
voyance to foresee what would he
your first consideration. as a candi-
date for office, in taking advantage
of the opportunity of setting forth
your personal claims before a large
gathering attracted by the prospect
of joint debate on moral and re-
ligious issue, which you have made
of prohibition We are working
against a legislative act which :ve
think would be of great harm to
Arizona; you are working with one
object in view, a selfish end-a SEN
atorial toga. The people of Arizona
cannot afford to confuse the two
issues.
1T is a well established fact thar
Joint debates on great public ques-
lions which have aroused much feel
ing. only serve to intensity that
| ''iib VuStlutl SlIlle anu
hatred. The meeting at the Elks'
theater the other evening demon .
.strated beyond question the utter
utility of joint debate and the sort
of courtesy we might expect at your
hands. Acting upon your personal
instructions given publicly last Sun
day the body of the theater was
packed with your followers, appar-
emily organized to create. a disturb
ance and break up the meeting
Neither you nor your co-workers
have ever been subjected to such in
dignities at the hands of those who
oppose you in the city of Phoenix or
elsewhere, The conduct of your fol-
lowers last evening, without any at
tempt by yourself who was present.
to quell their disgraceful perform
ance, precludes any possibility of
joint meeting. You probably knew
this when You Matched the trick you
attempted to play last night
In conclusion, the people of Phoe-
nix have heard your side weekly for
months. They are hearing our sida