Weekly journal-miner., 1915-08-18
WOULD SUBMIT WET
 AND DRY QUESTION
(From Thursdays Daily.)

1uCIS al [ UT SdillZdllOlS OI NdIlOuS clothes throughout the country which are working for temperance accord ing to the ideas endorsed by their respective constitutions. One of these, which is engaged in keeping in touch with the situation throughout the country. is the National Model License League with headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. In the follow ing letter from the league president the situation in Arizona is discussed: :: Dear Sir:
 Having devoted years to study of the liquor question, I am very much interested in the symposium of views on the Arizona situation started by A. R. Bucknam, secretary of the Temperance Federation of Arizona.
 Clearly the present amendment, as construed by the executive branch of the State government, fails to crystal ize into law the wishes of Arizona people. As has been pointed out, the people who voted for it, for the most part, contemplated no more real pro hibition than Kansas and other so- called prohibition states have-pro- Intuition of the local dealer but no interference with the individuals right to obtain liquor outside his own state for his own use.
 Secretary Bucknam has expressed the opinion that the citizen should be protected in the Legitimate use" of liquor, adding, land I contend that legitimate use includes personal use"
 Certain it is, therefore, that a large percentage of Arizonans voted for the amendment under a misapprehen- sion, to say the least, if MT. Buck nam agrees that the interpretation given it is contrary to that present sd by its proponents.
 This being conceded, it seems to me that the only safe way out is an other effort to learn the will of the people. But this time, let there be no hasty and ill-considered effort at drafting the amendment. Let that proposed bit of legislation state in clear, concise language just what it proposes.
 Furthermore, I would suggest that a more diligent effort be made to learn exactly what it is the people of Arizona want and to that end I would urge little different ballot from that used heretofore.
 Before l explain this, let me d- gress little to set forth the reason for this. 1 note that Mir. Bucknam and others are united in expressing their unabated opposition to the sa- loon as the means of supplying that liquor for personal use to which they contend Arizonans are entitled. Mir Bucknam puts it succinct1y in this way:
 The people voted to get rid of the saloon not because they wanted to quit drinking, although some of them did, but because they wanted to get rid of its political influence, and. most of all, because of its sociability which leads to excessive drinking"
 This diagnosis of the Arizona atti- tude toward the liquor trade is simi- lar to that made in certain other of our western states that have lately embraced prohibition. Whether theI saloon is rightly or wrongly blamed, 1 there can be no question that it has many enemies who are willing to risk much in the effort to stRke it ! down. This being the case, why | should this animosity be permitted to . do damage in other quarters as well? | Why should it be allowed to confis- cate property, take away jobs and | take away state revenues? Isn't the ueSll uClloll o1 all tneSe, merely 10 1 get rid of one disliked method of | retailing, somewhat too radical? !
 With this in view and realizing that the people are the ones to de termine just what they want in this matter, it occurred to me that the amplified ballot to which I have re