The copper era and Morenci leader. [volume] (Clifton, Ariz.) 1911-1929, 1916-09-01
THE PROHIBITION AMENDMENT
phoenix Republican,

At the headquarters of the Arizona
Temperance Federation confidence is
expressed as to the result of the vote
on the prohibition amendment to bring
this state under the operation of the
Webb-Kenyon law. This confidence
is founded on reports from all partsN
OF the state where it is said general
disgust prevails at the abuse of the
personal use" privilege. 1t was
feared at first that it would be diff
cult to arouse an interest among vot-
ers that would result in any change in
the present prohibition law and per-
haps that would have been impossible
but for the brazen conduct of the
bootleggers. In some places liquor is
sold almost openly and the taunt is
thrown out by those friendly to the Ii
quor traffic that prohibition does not
prohibit.
The friends of prohibition, and not
only those who favor prohibition but
those who favor decency in all it's
forms and the observance of the laws,
agree that prohibition as we now have
| it is not prohibiting. 1t is evident
that bootlegging, the lowest and the
meanest of crimes cannot be prevent
ed so long as liquor may be brought
into the state; they realize that boot
logging is worse than the saloon traf-
fic and they are deciding that a stop
must be put to it.
| There is another thing that good
citizens should take into consideration
and that is that the longer this thing
is permitted to go, the worse it will be-
come. Our officers are generally
vigilant, especially in the larger cnun-
ties CT Maricopa, Cochise, Yayapai,
Pima and ella. At great trouble,
handicapped as they are by lack CT ma
chinery, they have run down and pun
ished hundreds of violators of the
law On account of the difficulty of
proving the guilt of suspected persons
many have escaped. The difficulty
lies in the fact that it is possible now
to flood the state with liquor, SO that
it is easy for a bootlegger to get 1t,
but often difficult to prove that he is
selling it.
1t would be very natural for the Of
ficers of the law to become weary of
attempting to prevent bootlegging. Il
the people refuse to provide them
with the simple and necessary ma
chinery for the enforcement of the
law, they could not be greatly blamed
if they should quit trying to enforce
It. So it is now up to the people to
say next November whether they want
bootleggi1e stopped.
We believe they will say so. In the
meantime there is another way to get
at the same end, and that, too, should
be pursued for it is not absolutely sure
that the amendment will be adoHted
Between now and September IL
every candidate for the legislature in
this and every other county should be
definitely and certainly sounded, and
the votes of law abiding and decent
citizens should be cast at the primary
only for those candidates who will
convincingly pledge themselves for
prohibition machinery in case the
amendment should fail. After the
primaries the same test should be ap-
piled to the candidates who may be
nominated and votes should be cast
for those who are more likely to stand
for such needed legislation. Whether
they are democrats or republicans is
Iimmaterial. Any legislator who is in
favor of the rigid enforcement of the
prohibition law is apt to be pretty
safe man as to any proposition that
may be submitted to the legislature.