Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
the Chicago Record Herald.
MONTGOMERY, Ala, March a. 1906
Alabama Is quite q temperate state. or
the sfxty-seven counties twenty have pro-
hibftion laws, nine have dispensaries for the,
sale OF liquor In quantity by the municipal
authorities and the remainder have high IL
censes. On the Mobile and Ohio railroad.
passing through two and one-half states.
there Is not a single saloon between Mobile
and Jackson. Tenn. There is not bar room
or any place where liquor can be bought In
any OF the counties Of Alabama, Mississippi
or Tennessee on the line OF that road; and
neither beer, wine nor LIQUOR can be sold
in its dining cars.
Excepting the city of Selma, there is not
saloon or bar room on the line of the
southern railroad between Mobile and
birmingham, and the east and west
road, excepting Selma and Demopolis. there
Is no saloon between Montgomery and
Vicksburg.
There is no general liquor law in Ala
bama. Each county is the subject of special
legislation, according to the demands of its
citizens. II any county comes into the
legislature with an application from the
people Endorsed at the polls for prohibition,
dispensary or high license, it is almost sure
to obtain the legislation at once and the
tendency is toward prohibition. In more
than half the counties no action whatever
has been taken, but several of them come
to the legislature every session for regulat-
ing acts.
The Country, Saloon Disappearing.
While the appetite of the white people
for liquor has not been suppressed or
satiated. and they drink perhaps quite as
much as they ever did in their homes and
clubs. saloon drinking has practically been
stopped throughout the rural districts. be-
cause experience has demonstrated that
the country saloon Is the hotbed of mischief,
local disturbances and lynchings. and most
of the shooting in the state for many years
has been done under the influence of cross
roads grocery whisky. 1t has also been
trouble with the Eegroes-their idleness,
worthlessness and shiftlessness-is due to
liquor drinking, and public sentiment de-
mands stringent regulations, which have
been enacted in twenty-nine counties. In
other counties the cost of license has been
placed SO high as to make 1t Improbable
for crossroads grocer to sell liquor, The
patronage of the country saloon Will not
justify the payment Of the license fee and
the internal revenue tax. So the saloons at
which the poorest whisky was sold and the
greatest amount of mischief was Matched
have been closed up and the consequences
are so wholesome as to encourage similar
action In other parts Of the state and in
neighboring states Whisky drinking has
been the greatest curse Of the negro.
An Occasional Blind Tiger.
Occasionally a blind tiger is set up:
Illicit distilling Is common, and whisky is
often peddled about the country among the
negroes. on holidays and circus days es-
pecially; and It Is usually difficult to con-
avict the culprits. But when they are con-
being sent to the penitentiary for term of
years and compelled to pay fine OF $500
for the first offense and $1,000 for the SEQ
ond while the costs ruin man financially.
Every violation of the liquor law Is pun
ished twice; first in the federal courts on
a charge of selling without license, and
second in the state courts for violating the
state law. Usually cases are first tried In
the federal courts, because they sit In the
large cities and are not subject to local
influences. 1t Is very difficult to get jury
in local court to bring in verdict against
a neighbor Although its members may
realize that the man they are called upon
to try Is deserving OF punishment, they feel
that 1t will be very embarrassing to meet
him after he comes home from a term In
the penitentiary. But city jury in the
federal court Is pretty apt to convict, and
the state courts are now accepting certified
copies of the records of the federal courts
as final in such cases.
Some Rigid Rules.
In some of the prohibition counties It is
a misdemeanor for man to offer wine or
whisky to his guests; the penalty for selling
or giving away Is the same. But in hospit-
able plantation houses 1t is not a crime for
a servant or a host to place decanter and
bottle on the table. II the guest Is
familiar with the customs of the country
nothing further Is necessary. People ouy
their supplies of liquor from wholesale es-
adjustments in New Orleans, Mobile or
Montgomery and have 1t shipped to them
by express.
The dispensaries are run very much as
they are in South Carolina. Shops are
opened at convenient parts Of the county. in
charge of sworn agents. who sell bottled
liquor in the original packages for cash
the smallest quantity Is pint, the largest
packages are sealed. and it is unlawful to
open them on the premises. Some people
think this encourages drinking at home.
They say that a man who would take one
the whole pint because he cannot get away
less. But those who manage the dispen-
saries and others who are observing their
operations insist that this Is not true. and
among the negroes. The keeper of the dis
pensary is authorized to refuse any or all
applicants, according to his judgment
There Is no way to compel him to sell, ana
has no profit from the business there Is no
fnducement for him to do So He Is for-
hidden by law to sell to habitual drunkards
or to men who have already been drinking,
and NAV refuse to furnish liquor whenever
his Judgment Is against 1t.
There is always profit in dispensary,
because it is a monopoly, it does a cash
business. the expense of management Is
very small and prices are regulated so as
to produce revenue. The proceeds are
devoted to school purposes At Tuscaloosa,
for example. the dispensary pays profit
of $780, 600 a year. of which ST. Oo0 goes TO
the county and $4,000 to the city SCHOOLS.
Montgomery's New Station.
MONTGOMERY has handsome new rail-