The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-07-06
ASKING
VOTERS TODEC|DE
FILED WEDNESDAY
Number Of Signatures is 22,57O
or 2,570 More Than Re.
quired by Law
STONE ISSUES Statement
Says Intensive Educat o n a !
Campaign Will be Made
Throughout State

Petitions calling for initiation OF
a constitutional amendment to repeal
the prohibition section of the North
Dakota constitution were filed We'd
nesday with the secretary of state.
II the petitions are found sufficient
the issue will be voted on at the gen.
eral election November g.
Signatures filed numbered 2257o,
or 2.570 more than the number re-
CURED to initiate constitutional
amendment.
c. P. Stone, Mandan hotel man and
chairman of the committee of petit
TONERS, said every precaution had
been taken to present petitions that
are in proper legal form, and ex-
pressed confidence that their accep-
lance will be mere formality.
Stone. H. H. Williams, Mandan, j.
P. Spies, Bismarck, and Fred Peter
son. Bismarck, members of the COM
mittee OF petitioners, presented the
petitions to the secretary of state.
Stone said an intensive educational
campaign will be carried on in the
fall to bring about the adoption of
the initiated proposal.
Condemns Republicans
THE stand taken by the Repub-
lican party at its national convention
on the question of repeating the 18th
amendment" he said, lis so weak and
meaningless that no one who has the
interest Of the country at heart can
accept it as promising any relief from
the intolerable conditions now exist
ing. A party lacking the courage to
take definite stand now cannot be
depended upon for any action Of an
aggressive nature after the election
is over
Stone called attention to the re-
peal plank adopted by the Democra-
tic national. convention, and pointed
to it as deserving of the support OF
every voter who desires relief from
the present era of lawlessness.
Adoption of the repeal plank in
North Dakota, he said, will place the
state in the class of other states that
have abandoned their state prohibi-
ton laws. He regarded repeal of the
national prohibition laws as a GER
tainty.
The American Hotel association
and the North Dakota unit of the
organization have gone on record in
favor OF repeal. Stone said, Repeal
OF the prohibition laws, he added,
will bring back to the dining rooms
of hotels the business which now goes
to the non-taxpaying speakeasy, will
create confidence in law-enforcing
agencies. give work to hundreds of
thousands now unemployed, a fair
price to the farmer for his grain, and
put millions Of revenue into a sadly
depleted treasury"
Section PIT of Article 20 of the
state constitution provides for pro-
in North Dakota. The sec
ton reads:
Text Of Provision
NO person, association or CORPORA
ton shall within this state, manu-
facture for sale or gift, any intoxicat-
Ing liquors, and no person. associa-
ton or corporation shall import any
OF the same for sale or gift, or keep
or sell or offer the same for sale, or
git, barter or trade as a beverage.
The legislative assembly shall by law
prescribe regulations for the enforce
ment OF the provisions of this article
and shall thereby provide suitable
penalties for the violation thereof"
Laws enacted by the legislature in
compliance with the constitutional
provision would automatically be re-
pealed should the initiated proposal
be adopted, its sponsors said.
The constitutional provision for
prohibition became a part of the
state constitution on North Dakota's
admittance to the union in 1889. Four
years ago efforts were made to repeal
the prohibition section through an
initiated proposal but the measure
was defeated by 5000 votes. Two
years ago another repeal attempt
was made. but the initiative petitions
were rejected on the ground they
were not in proper form.