, 1935-08-26
Hard Liquors Sold

All through Hidalgo county not
only the full strength beer. but hard
liquors OF various sorts were being
sold openly by the drink OF the
bottle.
In Cameron county liquor was
being sold by establishments that
possess the federal liquor license,
but no instances were reported IN
Brownsville Of single drink sales.
In Harrington, 1t is understood, bars
were openly displaying liquor and
making single drink sales.
~-meron county, which gave re-
peal a majority Of 928. on the face
OF things Monday appeared 'drier"
than Hidalgo county, which gave a
majority of 10 against repeal.
Beth Sheriff Art Golsby Of Cam
eron county and Sheriff Bob
Da-iels Of Hidalgo county were out
OF their offices. and official state
ment could not be obtained on the
attitude to be taken regarding the
sale Of liquor.
County Attorney Charles Bowie
explained to The Brownsville Her
aid that the amendment repeating
prohibition will not become effec-
tive for 40 days, at which time the
vote will be canvaSsed by the sec
rotary Of state and the result Of
ficially announced.
In the meantime, there is no state
penalty for selling liquor unless 1t
lie the Dean Law. the enacting legiS-
lation passed following the adoption
Of statewide prohibition. This act
viii be in force. at least theoretical
", until the result Of the election
Is officially declared.
Open Saloon Banned
Under the amendment adopted
Saturday. the "open saloon Is
prohibited, and the legislature Is
ordered to enact laws against and
TO define the "open saloon. The
amendment gives the legislature the
right to regulate traffic in liquor.
apparently giving it the right TO
establish a state monopoly in the
hQuor trade.
In November, 1896, another con-
stltutional amendment will come up
for vote, providing for the estab-
lishment of a "State d~iSpensOry"
System, virtually a state monopoly.
Under the amendment carried
Saturday, the local option law still
stands. II a precinct was dry
under local option 16 years ago when
prohibition went into effect, It Is
dry TO-DAY and viii be dry even
when the repeal amendment Is le-
gally in effect.
1t Is this provision Of the amend
ment that is causing the greatest
confusion in the Valley where old
timers are scratching their heads
trying to remember the status Of the
various communities when prohibit
ton was adopted
? According to the best recollections,
San Benito was the only major
Cameron county community to be
dry prior TO prohibition, the dry
provision being written into the
original townsite deeds on which all
later deeds are based. When 30 beer
was legalized in Texas a local OPP
ton election in the San Benito
school district was called, and sale
OF 81 legalized. The district would
still be dry however, for the sale
OF anything stronger.
Three cities In Hiadlgo county
were dry under the same original
townsite provisions. Mercedes. Ala
me and Pharr. All Of these cities
had saloons on the outskirts, just
outside the city limits, but no a
looms have existed in them. The
other cities Of Hidalgo were all wet.
It Is also understood that the
same provision was incorporated in
the original townsite deeds OF Ray
mondville.
Willacy county. created out Of
parts OF Hidalgo, Cameron and Ken
edy counties, occupies a unique po-
Sition in the state. having been
formed after the passage Of the
prohibition amendment. Status Of
towns in that county will be the
same rs their status prior to pro-
hibition, in the counties Of which
they were then q part.