El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-02-08
People to Haze Vote On
State Wide Prohibition
Probably in November
Bills Pending to Fix Date For Battle Of Ballots on
Booze; House Opposition Fades When 1t Comes
to Showdown; Measure Not Really Prohibitory,
Charge
Monday

n state legislature MADE u posi-
BILE, yesterday afternoon, when both
houses passed the senate COMMITTEES
substitute for the Mcdonald anc
Clark "dry" resolutions.
Following the passage of the reso'
luton by the senate, at q o'clock, by
a vote of 16 to a, the measure was
shot through the house, under sus-
pension of the rules, and by 5 O'Clock
the "wet" and "dry' controversy was
over, so far as the present Legislature
is concerned. The vote in the house
was az to 5.
Joint resolutions DO not require the
signature Of the governor to become
effective, but it Is bcfIeved that Gov
ernor De Baca will sign the resoIu'
tion passed yesterday. 1t will be pre-
scented to him, giving him the oppor-
tunity to do so.
The resolution does not Fix the time
for holding the special election al
which the question of prohibition will
be submitted, but there are now two
bills before the legislature, one in the
senate and one in the house, provid-
ing that the special submission cleo
tion shall be held on the first Tues
day after the first Monday in No
vember, 1917. Also, there is a bill in
each house specifying the manner OF
holding the special election. These
measures have been held up, pending
action on a prohibitory amendment,
but now it is expected that they will
be quickly passed, without opposi-
ton, as failure to provide for a spe-
cial election would mean the submits
sion of the question at the next gen.
eral election, in November, 1918, and
neither party desires that.
The proposed amendment fixes Oc-
tober, 1, 1918, as the date on which
prohibition shall become effective,
and if the amendment carries New
Mexico will join the steadily increas-
ing company of "dry" states on that
date.
In the senate 10 Republicans and
six Democrats voted for the resolu-
tion, and one Republican and three
Democrats voted against it. OF the
AZ votes cast for the resolution in the
house % we're Republicans and II
Democratic. Four Republicans and
one Democrat voted against it.
House Opposition Fades
UnwillIngness on the part of those
opposed to submission to make a fight
on the floor resulted in the house OPP
position fading, once the measure
was before that body. Just before
the resolution was reported from the
senate Representative Wetmore, OF
Lincoln county, moved to adjourn, but
a motion by Representative Con-
Zales, of Dona Ana county, for the re-
consideration of the vote by which
the senate was last week permitted to
recall the sugar factory tax exemp-
ton bill was then pending, and conse-
quently Speaker Llewellyn ruled the
Wetmore motion out of order. A few
minutes later the resolution was re-
ported by the senate clerk, and i'm
mediately after the vote was taken on
the pending motion, Mr.. Gonzales
again secured the floor and moved
under suspension Of the rules.
The motion made by Representa-
tive Gonzales had been prepared by
Judge C. J. Roberts, with a view to
leaving no means by which imme-
date consideration or the resolution
could be blocked, in the event it car
ried. M
ct move" said the Dona Ana coun-
ty member, that the rules of the
house be now suspended, and that
Senate Joint Resolutions 2 and 8 be
read the first and second times by
title, that the printing and translation
of the resolution be dispensed with,
and that the said resolution be read
in full the third time preparatory to
its passage"
Representative Mares, Of Colfax
county, moved to amend to refer the
resolution to the committee on con
stitutional amendments. The sub
mission forces, however, had been
marshaled during the afternoon for
the express purpose Of preventing the
resolution going to the committee,
and the Mares amendment was voted
down, the Gonzales motion, as made,
carrying. The resolution was then
read the first and second time by
title, and the third time in full, pre-
paratory to its passage, and roll call
was ordered.
Charges Breaking of Pledges
Tn explaining his vote, Representa-.
tive Mares, who attempted to get the
resolution into the committee on con-
stitutional amendments, declared that
both parties were breaking their
pledges, as the proposed amendment
was not really a %prohibitory measure.
A moment later, however, after as
sorting that it was "the most unjust
measure ever presented" he an
nounced that he would vote for its
passage, for the reason that the Re-
publican party had pledged itself to
allow the people to vote on prohibit
ton.
Representative Mascarenas, Of
Taos county, said the amendment
would allow the state to be "both wet
and dry" and voted against 1t.
Representatives Gonzales, Bryan
and Jesus G. Sanchez spoke III favor
Of the resolution. In explaining his
vote Representative Pardue read the
advertisement Of an Arizona saloon
man, which he declared was one OF
the best arguments for prohibition
that he had encountered. The adver-