The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-08-12
TUCUMCAR| TO VOTE
ON LOCAL OPTION
PETITIONS SIGNED AND FIGHT
Is ON IN EARNEST-A HARD
CAMPAIGN WILL BE COM.
MENCED SOON

MENCED SOON
The prohibition fight which has been
impending and smouldering, is on in
Tucumcari. The campaign commenc-
cd last Friday when petitions were cir
culated asking the Mayor and city
council to call an election to submit
to the voters of the city the question
whether or not the barter, sale, and
exchange of Intoxicating liquors shall
be prohibited within the City of Tu-
cumcari. About thirty-five copies of
the petition were placed in circulation
Friday evening and by night sufficient
signers had been secured to comply
with the law requiring the calling of
the election. The law provides that
any municipality may submit to the
electors the question Of whether or
not the sale of Intoxicating liquors
shall be prohibited, upon the filing of
a petition by electors equal in number
20 twenty-five per centum of the votes
cast for the candidate receiving the
highest number Of votes ut the last
'ceding municipal election. Such
Sps are conducted, the vote can
the result declared in the
vbner as provided by law for
..,.fnment Of other municipal
Jas.
me petition will likely be presented
to the council at its regular meeting
Friday night of this week. The exact
number Of the signers of the petitions
is not known but we are informed
that il has been signed by many repre-
sentative men of the city. Very much
discussion of the question has been
provoked, and prohibition is being
discussed from every standpoint. We
do not forecast any results but predict
vigorous campaign on both sides.
Nara Visa was the first town in
this county to hold prohibition cleo
ton which carried. Later Logan and
Montoya held elections and in both
towns prohibition lost. The Logan
fight for prohibition it was not very
vigorous. In the event prohibition
carries in Tucumcari, the towns of Lo-
gan and Montoya will be the only
places in the county where the sale of
liquor will be legal. Under the present
law no town having u population OF
less than one hunrded can lawfully
operate saloons, and in no event can
saloons be operated except in towns.
The News will take neutral stand
for the present at least because OF
one thing and that is we believe every
man, woman or child in lie city OF
Tucumcari is sufficiently informed TO
vote intelligently on the subject, pro-
viding they had the right To vote, but
no person except men who are over
the age of 81 is allowed to vote on
the subject. IL the majority of these
men say they want the saloon then
the county must allow it. If the ma
jority say they do not want saloons
then Tucumcari must put the lid on
One thing should be determined and
that is whether local option prohibits
or whether it only brings more law
lessness into the community. II II
will cause the drunkard to turn from
his downward path, or whether he vii
secure il some other way by theft o'
from the bootlegger, are facts to be
taken into consideration.
Another thing which must be takeI
into consideration is the law and VIVA
il means and then who must enforce
il TO the fullest extent. One is M
good without the other. There have
been numerous laws put on the stat
utes which have never been enforced
We do not believe whiskey or beer arr
"a necessity for anything whatsoever
but we have our doubts about one
tenth of the people in this city be
lieving that way. A law is now beinj
put up to the national congress whlcl
il il passes will forbid the drug store
to handle whiskey or brandy. Thi
will perhaps do away with the druI
store which, in some of the dry dis
tricts puts few bottles OF paten
medicine on the shelves and barre
of whiskey behind the prescriptlo
case where il is no more unlawful 10
the minor TO buy than for the adul
There are many points we all kno'
and we hope TO see n fair electio
where every legal voter will come ou
and vote his sentiment, doing ava
with the saloons or keeping them.
The money question should not b
taken into consideration, as we neve
did believe in licensing wrong jus
to make someone pay for the educa
ing of our children. We never b'
lieved in churches soliciting none
from the worldly people with whic
TO pay their pastor. Our fathers dl
not do it and their fathers did not d
it so we should not vote for the 81
looms just because they furnish bi
amount of revenue with which we pa
the school teachers of the county.
= We intend to set aside two column
in the News for the use Of the cit
zens who desire to write along Il
line of local option and we hope the'
columns will be used freely.
. Each article must be signed by Il
writer and the name will appear
this paper at at bottom of the articl
No delicious names or articles wrl