El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-01-18
All In Plain Sight

L Nv -lCAlCldLuiC VI th0 DtatO Il MA
leo or any part of it will find itself in an
amusing light, if any attempt is made to
pull off what is popularity known in parlor
French as shenanigan, regarding the prohi'
bition issue.
Every move made by every member in
this matter is plainly visible, or will as
suredly be made plainly visible, to the pub
lie. Every member is under a specific
party pledge to submit the prohibition is
sue to the voters. Opinions may differ as
how drastic this provision should be made.
But no one should flatter himself for a
moment that the people won't know whether
they are voting on prohibition or some
thing just as good" Attempts to fog up
the issue will be about as successful as
trying to conceal the capitol dome by hang
ing bedcovers on 1t. There's a lot of diff
ference between honest variance of opinion
and taking a prohibition amendment. If it
gives forth an. aroma like the breath of
Demijohn Johnny the Village Drunkard, not
all the cloves of legal phraseology will suf-
flee to disguise the emanation. Both party
platforms, imperishably on record, show
that both parties Signed The Pledge-to
submit prohibition to a vote-and a claim
by anyone that the signature was not in
indelible ink wont make any difference.
The New Mexican hasn't been hurting
many milk bottles at the Rum Demon dur
ing the first week of the Legislature. We
sort of have a bunch, however, that the
people of this state would like mighty well
to experiment with getting along without
the hooch. It's absence seems to stimulate
bank deposits and encourage capital. Over
in Arizona they say that investments in
mining properties have increased remarka-
bly, in many sections as the direct result of
prohibition. 1t isn't the Reverend Doctor
Googoo Of former times who wants prohi-
bition nowadays. 1t is Mr.. Business man
and Mr.. Employer, Mr.. Merchant and young
Colonel Pep, the booster, no less than the
division superintendent of the railroad and
the big woolgrower who wants hands that
will stay on the job. There are few Peck
shifts active in the dry movement nowadays.
1t has come to be too much Of a hard COM
mercial fact that the less booze, the more
prosperity; and this appeals to a good
many men who hitherto haven't particular
ly cared whether the saloons went or stay
ed The most significant fact Of the whole
iho'SiiChI u6aiipt iiquoi HoWduuyo 10 III
eagerness of SO many people to deprive
of the chance to get 1t, so they
can save the price Of the drinks.
There nayer Was, any moral defense Tor
the liquor business. But the modern liquor
question is preeminently economic. It is
a cold blooded question of business and In
dividual and community efficiency, not.
~withstanding the fact that the traffic is In
less moral repute than 1t ever was.
What VIC arc getting at, however, is that
no legislator nor meddling member of the
pernicious Third House need try to kid
himself or the people about this prohibition
issue. II a gold brick is put over. the plat
ing will wear off before the ink is dry on
the receipt, and the trademark of the manu-.
will show up plain as the First
and Last Chance to a thirsty cowpuncher
twenty miles out on the desert.
II didn't take Uncle Josh Perkins very
long to find out that the cash register the
sold him was a second hand music
box when he went up to ring up a sale.
The voters win get the number Of every