Arizona republican., 1914-08-16
WHICH SHALL IT BE-?


 On the third of November the voters of Arizona will face the responsibility of voting for one of two amendments to their constitution that will be fol- lowed by veal or woe, depending on which way their votes are cast.
 These two amendments are those which have to do with the liquor traf- fife.
 One of these amendments was pre- pared at a state convention of repre- sentatives from every part of Arizona, from all of the various religious and secular organizations interested in the moral uplift and financial welfare of the people. The other was conceived by the Royal Arch, an organization of saloon keepers, which was so ashamed of it that it refused to father it and found an innocent victim in the per son of good-natured Al Donau of Tue son, who agreed to appear as as spon- SOr
 MT. Donau is given as the president of the Arizona Buiness Mems Home Rule League" an organization that sprang from nothing nowhere at any time. It never called a convention, never had meeting, had no published call, had no delegates and altogether does not at all exist The Royal Arch put it out on paper as a blind to pre- vent the public indignation from being directed their way
 That is to be the tactics of the Royal Arch alV through this campaign. It's members are ashamed of it's business and will not come out into the open. It pays the bills, but refuses to identify itself openly with the movement. It gets Al Donau to consent to be the buffer and take the hard knocks in fathering an amendment that ought to bring the blush of shame to any cheek not hardened to it, and then it gets a few Whiskey druggists to assemble in the Adams hotel in Phoenix and take the initiative in opposing the dry amendment for alleged reasons which do not exist. It next seeks to divert attention from it's own discomfiture md has had in it's employ for months stool-pigeons who seek to divert atten-
 
 the Temperance Federation with a view to getting it to fight back and lose sight of the issues in a war of personalities.
 One or the other of these two amend ments will become law in the coming election. It depends on the voter to answer the question, Which shall it be-"
 The dry amendment proposes to abol- ish the beverage liquor traffic in Ari- zona. It is calculated to do that very thing. It has no other object When | that result is accomplished it will have vindicated itself. Profiting by the ex- perience of others it has avoided their mistakes. It has but one handicap the 1 attitude of the United States govern ment in relation to interstate traffic The amendment is perfect in it's way, but one of it's features is destined to | be imperative as a result of court de- clsions. We cannot prevent the inn I portation of alcoholic liquors because | the federal government stands in the way, but we can enforce all other pro- visions of the amendment.
 In spite of all we can do liquor will | be imported into Arizona. In spite of all we can do, druggists can get alco- 1 holic liquors and we will have to de- | pend on our amendment to prevent | them from using the stuff illegally l They can manufacture tinctures ant 1 extracts and medicines to their hearts l content and We cannot help ourselves l but when they sell any of the stuff
 for beverage purposes the strong arm l of the law will be invoked to punish, l There are those who pretend to thinl l that the dry amendment is too dras- tic, too severe. They know nothing O ] the difficulties in the way of enforc-