The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-15
=E NSLEY DEP "A R T M E N T E=
ADDRESS VOTERS
 ON DISPENSARY
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ISSUES STATEMENT TO PEOPLE TO USE CARE IN THE CHOICE OF LAW MAKERS.

Of Alabama haS been Issued py the
 state dspensary executive committee:
 To The Voters of Alabama:
 The time has come for you to consider
 the character and views of the men
 whom you may wish to be your next law makers. Those who may be called at
 the coming election to fill legislative po- stions will hold office for four years,
 and during all that period there will be
 no opportunity to make new laws or to correct mistakes in those that have al- ready been passed It is important. there
 fore, that in matters pertaining to se-
 rious legislation the people should be careful and discreet. The question as to the best method of controlling or re- ducing the liquor traffic has been promi- nent in Alabama for many years, and 1t is evident that the dispensary system will occupy much of the time and thought of the next legislature.
 Of course the saloons will be opposed to their own removal Financial consider ations will prompt them to make strong l fight Temperance people should realize
 that the saloons are always keenly alive to conditions that affect their peeuniary interest and we may well appfehend that they will make a quiet but active oppo- siton to candidates who favor the dis- pensary system The particular provisions of dispensary bills that may be intro- duced in the next legislature cannot now
 be foreseen. Bills may be introduced look
 ing to the establishment of dispensarles all over the state outside of territory now covered by dispensaries or prohipi- tion or to the establishment of dispen- saries by the vote of different countess or to the direct establishment of dispen- sarles in designated localities. But the establishment or location of dlspensarles is not the only dispensary question. The oP 4ha jna 1 tablished, it's power and inhibitions should l also he carefully considered. We should hear in mind that there may be all sorts of dispensaries producing Varyihs results Some dspensaries are uhooupt-
 edly a great aid to temperance. some aid the cause In a less degree. tuners
 may aid 1t still less, and bills establish
 inc. disnensaries might be so drawn that
 the dispensaries when established "ouiu
 he hut little better. though never worse, 1 than A gilded saloon. Much depends on the particular provisions or the Id" uii
 der which the dispensary IS operateu. l The details of dispensary statu,e are
 quite important dispensary estapilsh- ed under A. bad or ill-considered law may
 come into such disrepute that men VIII call for It's removal. That the dlspehsary sbould hiring revenue seems to be neces-
 sarv Towns that derive large lhcoine from liquor licenses will not seheraiiy
 consent to give up the license system
 unless they get some compehsauoh hui
 the loss of fees from licenses. Whhe ,ne revenue feature cannot be ignored, IL should be incidental and subordinate. ine main obiect of the dispensary system shouId be the promotion of temperance
 Now if the establishment of dlspen-
 sa,,ies Is to meet with opposition, ana II
 dispensaries may be of different hlhus
 and produce different results, 1t IS mann fest that temperance people shouia ae
 lively support candidates who aaVocaee
 the system and advocate IL as nnsas-
 ure for producing temperance. u may pe
 noted that saloons generally do some
 work when governors, presidents or the senate speakers of the house, members 1 of the legislature and even Legislative committees are to be elected or appolil- ed Saloons are watchful and alert. lhe experience of this committee illustrates
 inc necessity for care in the selection or senators and members of the house. m the last house of representatives we caused a bill to be introduced which pro
 yided for an election in certain countles as 10 the establishment of dispensarles l The bill did not undertake to estabhsn
 directly a single dispensary. It required
 that there should be an election on the subject and declared the result or the election The election was to be by coun-
 ties and the result in one county was
 not to affect the result in another county.
 This was the substance of the Dill, ana this was all. In the usual course the bill was referred to the temperance com mittee of tho house. The committee de- | clined to make a favorable report on the bill and thus prevented the taking or vote in the house. We then proposed to amend the bill so that the election could
 not be held unless it was formally asked for by certain percentage Of the reg istered voters of the several counties But even thls proposition was not sui
 ficient to get the bill out of the hands of the committee. It Is plain that if the dispensary people wish to do their best at
 the next meeting of the legislature they
 should keep their eyes wide open when they come to vote in the next primaries We request you to note the character record habits, affiliations and present
 intentions of the candidates. especially
 candidates for governor and the legisla- 1 ture We suggest that the friends of the
 dspensary system vote for no aspirant to a Iaw-making office who Is committed i against the dispensary. We further sug- | gest that you see that candidates who
 appear to be uncommitted are not se- ] cretly pledged to oppose the dispensary | system If, in your judgment, the dis
 pensary affords to young men relief from 1 ternptation helps the old to drink with
 
 proves the general conditions of living
 we ask you to give 1t your active inhu- ence both before and after the next pri-
 mary election.
 We expect to publish before long substantial copy or synopsis of the bill
 which we will present to the next legis- lature.
 i Papers fin the state that favor temper
 ance legislation are requested to publish i this address. Very respectfully,
 Frank s. Moody, chairman. from state
 at large; James E. Webb, from state at
 Iarge John E. Mitchell. from First Con
 gressIonal district: J. P. Wood, from Sec
 ond Congressional district; J. L. Dean,
 from Third Congressional district; G. A. Joiner. from Fourth Congressional dis
 trict A P. Fudua, from Fifth Congress
 sional district l.. B Musgrove. from Sixth Congressional district; W. G. Fore
 man, from Seventh Congressional dis
 trict F. T. Petty; from Eighth Congress sional district T. M. Davidson. from | Ninth Congressional district. state dis 1 pensary executive committee.
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