The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-04
Arizona Experience Upon Actual Test
of Prohibition

No" that New Mexico has resolu-
ton pending in the senate providing
for q state constitutional amendment
forbidding the manufacture or dis
position Of any alcoholic liquor except
that used for medicinal. mechanical
scientific or religious purposes, Il is
well for the people of the state as
well "a for the Legislature to consider
the effects of prohibition in Arizona.
II may safely be assumed that the
benefits of prohibition experienced in
Arizona would also be experienced in
New Mexico, and that the difficulties
encountered in enforcing the law in
Arizona would be the same in the
case Of New Mexico
Roth are next door to the Mexican
border and have long stretches of
Lonely spaces which facilitate snug
CLING liquor. Enforcement OF pro-
hthiliou measure would undoubtedly
he as difficult and a. expensive in New
Mr&ico as in Arizona
Prohibition IN Arizona has not
meant tho elimination Of drinking or
Of DRUM cnness. Nor has it dcpopu-
lated the iails Intoxicated men are
stnl arrested in Arizona and traffic
tr the contrahand Is SIN fairly com
mon despite the hest efforts OF peace
officers and the courts to put an end
To It. II is a costly and onetimeS al.
most djscouraging thing to maintain
Tr0rfmrt5n IN Nrlzond.
However. IT has decreased drunken
pess decreased the number of men
Jailed for intoxication. greatly lessen
Cd the number Of crimes traceable to
liquor hettered the credit of many
q 'aDlilN and salvaRed many man
who was drifting on tho rocks
II hne also Increased taxes. to some
eftopt. because of the loss Of the rev
"uHo derived from saloon licenses,
ha' he same amount Of money re-
taus 'or meeting the states require
Unnt@ The people, money now goes
T." me butcher baker and candle stick
quaker UStrad of 10 tbs saioonk eper,
and bread, meat and other nccessarios
have gone in exchange for that money
instead Of liquor. This calls To mind
the fact that phoeniN bakers were
literally swamped with business the
0r-t on second week after prohibition
wont into effect Somehow or other
fheIr business was tho very first to
show tbc effect Of cutting off the
HQnor supply.
There are men i'm Phoenix. Tucson
ffrrt Douglas now who arc leading
clear eyed sober lives now for the
hcef time IN years. aud there are hun
drcds of Young boys standing on the
threshold Of manhood who never have
Sccn the inside OF saloon and may
mover see one or be subjected to the
liquor tern ptation. In the one case
good middle aged or elderly men have
been reclaimed for the henefit of the
state themselves and their families
and in the other good Young men are
: being safeguarded against injury
II New Mexico would know what
/ Arizona thinks Of prohibition. now
! that tn state ms had some actual
working experience with H. it is only
necessary to recall that i'm the last
state election. Arizona voted for alb
solute prohibition as against the per
sonal use" which had threatened TO
! destroy the effectiveness OF the PROFIT
+ hition law already in effect 'hy an
overwhelming majority
( Now that the Webb Kenyon act has
been upheld, ono Of tho strongest
argumonts aganat' state prohibition
loses its force. the argument until