The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-10
TUaCALoosA'S MAYOR
SPEAKS ON DISPENSARY

0fEAkS On OISfENSAHx.
= The address of Mr.. Stewart was re-
ceived with enthusiasm. and Mayor w G.
Cochrane of Tuscaloosa was introduced to
read a paper on THE Dispensary''
Mr.. President and Gentlemen: Every
law should have for its object the pub
lie good. No mere mercenary motive
should influence law makers, but high
er motive should lie at the basis OF ev-
cry law placed upon the statute book.
The public good should be kept in view
and the promotion of a higher state OF
morality among the people. rather than
the desire Of producing a greater revenue
for any State Of city treasury should be
the grand moving cause leading up to the
establishment Of any system Of govern
ment. For many years the liquor traffic
has perplexed and occupied the attention
OF the people of Alabama and of other
States. Various men and bodies of men
have exhausted their utmost wisdom to
arrive at a fair and just method of deal
ing with this business.
The innate sense of justice which re-
sides IN the breast of every true man and
citizen. has sought for years for some
plan that would be fair and just to all
alike. The men of the State and of the
towns and cities divided into two parties,
one of them opposed any interference
with the system long in force; while the
other actuated by exalted ideas OF man s
duty. to his fellow man, saw the evil ef-
fects of the bar room system and sought
a CndnSe. cneSe men were Hpl huueiicSu
by a desire to fill the treasury of the
State or the city; they were striving to
aid in the moral up-building of the people,
and thereby secure good to all classes.
The struggle has been long and every
inch of ground has been contested. and
in many parts of our State the battles
still go on.
In the creation of this world everything
was placed in the power of man to use
for 'his good or his injury. 1t is said that
In the ofnrehauSa of nature there
lies somewhere a remedy for every dis
ease. and an element available for every
need of man. To find and use these won-
derful provisions OF Providence is to be
the work of man. and in this connection
] will say the genius of man, within the
memory of some of us here present. has
discovered and brought into use secrets
of ma tlire which have laid buried for
ages unknown to u.s. In all great reforms
as well as in all nature, certain great
cardinal principles stand out in bold view
and attract the attention of the obserV-
ers. So in the great battles over the best
leading spirit comes 10 the front and with
the courage of his conviction makes ont
a plan of action and system by which
the desired reform Is to be carried to a
Originated in Tuscaloosa.
1t is my privilege to be the Mayor of
the city of Tuscaloosa. and ! state with
pride that Tuscaloosa is the home of the
man who originated and put in motion
the dispensary system in the State of
Alabama. This man was actuated by no
mercenary thoughts, neither was he
impelled by selfish or political am
bition. He was convinced that the
disseTsary system was good as a
his State and he had the courage, the
manhood and the ability to demonstrate
his views in such a way as to convince
a great portion Of the citizens Of Afaba-
mo hot lnn felA 4 rafA AA
Frank s. Moody or Tuscaloosa. to whom
belongs to honor of introducing the dis
pensaries into the State Of Alabama. His
entire thought was along the line of IA
moral benefit. giving no heed to the
financial outcome of his measure; but the
experience has taught that not only is
the dispensary a great moral success but
II Is great financial success and bene-
nit wherever IL has been tabiislled.
In order that | NAV illustrate this.
will state here the finan hal result of the
Tuscaloosa dtspensary for the first three
months Of its existence. and also state
the COMPARISON as "A reducer of petty mis-
demeanors in Tuscaloosa during that pc
riod as compared with same period in
1901. The city M Tuscaloosa received
from whiskey license for the year 1901
$3.50. the proporti0nate part of this, for
the months of January. February and
March. Of that sum would be $l.656.2 .
The gross net profit from the dispensary
for Jsn !ns February and March. 1917,
would go to the city of Tuscatooha, and
is S3,3l9.25. or Il little over twice the reve-
nue. derived from the saloons for the
same period last year.
The Moral Point of View.
From moral point of view the records
SHOW that during the first three months
of 1901, while the saloon system existed.
the Mayor had 1874 criminal cases on his
docket In 1902 during the first three
months of the year under the dispensary
he had only 81 criminal cases on his
docket, which shows general improve
ment of morals. there being 20 cases less
during the dispensary period than during
the harroom period. IL is also shown by
the same record that of the cases in 1901
IS were marked FOR drunkenness. and in
1902 only q cases were marked for drunk
enness, thus we see that II the first quar-
ter or the year dnder dispensary system
there was onl5 one-half the cases or
drunkenness, as under the old system.
These are stubborn facts without col
oring of any sort. aud they speak in no
uncertain tone. In these times it seems
TO me there is a general feeling of dis
trust ana men are nard to convincc. They
must have show down" and nothing
less VIII satisfy them. have made a
show down to You. and vouch for
its truth to the fraction of "A cent And
II any of vVu doubt these figures. | invite
you to Tuscaloosa. where you can see the