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Show Dear Sam: """"''' I note by your editorial in The Times Independent of June 13. 1968, like many o-fher o-fher proponents of the "Liquor by the Drink Proposal" that it appears that you feel that any person who refuses to sign a petition or one who advocates ad-vocates against the signing of the same are in some ways denying the people their constitutional con-stitutional right to vote. The legislative power of this State is by the constitution constitu-tion vested in the Legislature, and under certain circumstances circum-stances therein specified, in Z the people of the State of U-tah. U-tah. The legislative powers of the United States are vested solely in the Congress of the United States. Basically here in the United States we have a representative representa-tive form of government, and it is an unusual circumstance when there is a direct vote by the people. Some sort of a liquor by the drink proposal has been before be-fore the Utah Legislature time and time again and has never been passed. It is my opinion that we have had a good representative rep-resentative group of dedicated dedicat-ed men in the Utah State Legislature. Leg-islature. Now there are some people who have been dissatisfied with the Legislature regarding regard-ing the liquor by the drink, and are attempting to place the proposal on the ballot in the general election. To put the proposal before the people, those desiring it have the burden of going forward for-ward in getting the required number of signers on their petitions. The people who are not in favor of the proposal have no obligation or duty whatsoever in placing the proposal on the ballot. Nor are they in any way shirking their duty in any manner. Nor are they denying anyone any thing. As a matter of fact a person has, the same right not to sign the petition as one has to sign it. He has the same right to openly oppose the signing the petition as the person has to be an advocate of the proposal. This idea that persons signing sign-ing the petition are merely acting to put the question on the ballot is not the whole truth. It is much more than that. By signing a liquor by the drink petition, one has taken the first step towards making it become a law. If the proposal is wrong, or if it is a bad bill, voting on it will not make it right nor will it make it a good law. The time has long passed in this country when we can sit idly by ari3 wait for someone some-one else to take care of our problems. It is time that we stood up for what we think is right. It is my opinion that the proposed liquor by the drink bill is wrong and that it would make a bad law. I have read it very carefully, and I feel that now is tfce time to kill it,and not this fall in the general election. Very sincerely yours, Harry E. Snow |