Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1916-08-02
Two Strinqs to a Bow

W. OhIliiSs 10 d OOW
Our prohibition friends should not
trust all their eggs to one basket l
They need not relax their efforts in .
behalf of the proposed amendment to
prevent the introduction of alcoholic |
liquors into this state for personal /
use, or to make the possession of /
liquor a crime. or further to give eff
feet to our existing prohibition legis- /
lation. But they should not rest on
the outcome of the vote on that ,
amendment AS we have before stated, I
we believe it TO be very doubtful I
whether that or any measure in /
tended to amend the prohibition law Z
will receive a majority of the votes
cast upon it next November.
1t will certainly not receive the votes |
of all who supported the prohibition
amendment two years ago. a very
large number of citizens who voted
for that amendment did so without
any expression of their views on the
broad question of the liquor traffic.
The open saloon had become offensive
to them. 1t was a manifestation of
the liquor traffic which they desired
to suppress and which they believed
could be suppressed without dealing
deadly blow at the traffic itself
A noisome, ll-smelling hog wallow
under dining room ~indow is only
manifestation of the hog raising in
/ dustry, which one would suppress
without killing off the industry itself.
With the elimination of the saloon a
large number of Arizona voters were
| fully satisfied and will trouble them
selves no further; they are not pro-
| hibitionists; they are not vitality con-
cerned in the operations of the boot
/ leggers whom they never see and Of
whom they hear only through news
paper accounts of court proceedings
1t is no matter TO them if their neigh
bOrs import liquor for personal use
No doubt hundreds who voted against
the saloon are availing themselves Of
the privilege.
They may not be aware that some
Of the conditions that have followed
the abatement of the saloons are
worse than they were before and that
a reinforcement of the prohibition law
is necessary to cure them. Being I'M
aware of these facts they will vote
mo" not because, in all cases. they
have vital objection to any further
prohibition legislation, but because
their interest in the subject has
ceased.
There is a way though, by which
those who want additional legislation
against the liquor traffic and who re-
p alize the need Of machinery to make
. the present law effective, can get it
r and that is through the legislature
, There are enough prohibitionists-
do not mean only members of the
f prohibition party, but democrats anc
. republicans who believe in absolute
q prohibition, to influence, the election o
A four fifths Of the membership of eacl
house of the next Legislature. If thel
& viii bring out candida ties, democrat
h or republicans, pledged to such legis
, lation, or if they will TAX pledges from
o candidates whom they l1now they ca
trust and then, throw their strength
n to them, with the party vote that sue
v candidates would receive in the pri
II maries and the general election, the
c can elect them in near,.> every count
|. in the state.
d Such legislation as is thus secure
,e would, OF course, be subject to tn
is referendum. which would almost Ger
,e tainly be invoked and would not be
IN come effective until after another cleo
ton, but it would be better late tina
o. never.
J. In the meantime as we have said, ei
to forts in behalf of the proposed amend
4 ment need not be rela1 ed If ths
es should be adopted, of coui Sc, action b
N. the legislature would be unnecessar
Sc We can not see that the climate