Arizona republican., 1914-07-22

legislators by the crudity of it's pro- visions; their blindness in not per- ceiving that it carries the elements for it's own rapid death, and that hatred has lead them to mistake fanaticism approaching that of the East Indian as the religious duty of a Western supporter of the church and her in fluences
 In order that faddists be allowed full sway shall we as druggists be branded as criminals and felons subject to i'm prisonment, and confiscation of all fruits of our years of industry because we import into the state alcohol for which the federal government has is sued us license? And which is neces- sary to us in fulfilling our obligations as pharmacists to the people of this state and for which duty the state has issued us permits?
 This law if it carries, as at present is most likely, makes us felons if we honor almost any prescription of phy- sician, or refill those already in the ! possession of the patient; while exist ing laws would rightfully penalize us l if we refused. i The housewife, the nurse, or the 1 mother anxiously breeding over her sick child, must be refused those rem | edies on which so much depend and which she has been taught to use, as spirits of nitre, paregoric, spirits of camphor, tincture of iodine, witch ha- gel, or any recipe into which the small lest amount of alcohol necessarily enters.
 The barber using bay rum, the clean ly person in the daily use of listerine the child early taught the value of ru- bifoam upon it's teeth, the responsible citizen calling for the usual tonic for his near-bald pate-each must be re- fused his seemingly innocent demand: and respectfully bow to the wishes of others who will have forged their ideas into concrete force at the voting sta tions.
 If this is wise legislation, proceed next to rob the carpenter of his ham, mer and the farmer of his horse, pro- hibit automobiles and railway engines, especially imprison and heavily fine every person found in possession of firearms; and. to cap the climax of this exhibition of ignorance, prohibit the manufacture, use, purchase. or car riage of anything capable of making a fire,
 It is for us who are most conversant with the necessity and the uses of al cohol, aided by the physicians of the state, to proceed at once in the edu- cation of the voter that he may real ize that the spirit of wine is not an unmixed evil, but, like fire, is a neces- sary agent and good friend to man kind. And who. in a campaign of this sort, has so many opportunities as the druggists and his clerks? We must use the opportunity the public gives us by informing our customers and friends by word of mouth, by placards in the store and out, or by public pronounce ment, of what alcohol means to us and to them. Request the voter to register his or her no to the constitutional amendment as proposed. until oppor- tunity is given to amend it by an in- sertion exempting alcohol when 1t is shown to be for medicinal, scientific. mehanical sacramental, or toilet use. Publish our appeal in our trade mag azines, request every newspaper in the state to voice our fears ana our opin- ions on this most important matter, for the good of their readers.
 And it would appear that owing to this nasty and ill-consldered amend ment as proposed by the opponents ot the saloon, and those who oppose the use of wine or beer in any form, willy niily We shall find ourselves lined up with those of the other side, thus eX- posing ourselves to the probable charge that we as druggists favor the use and sale of whiskey for 'business greed" reasons.
 But we may safely I believe, leave this false charge 70 rankle in those small brains who give it breath. Mean while, advise you individually and as an association, get busy.
 Yours very truly, HARRY PRESLEY.