The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-26

ATTENTION, ST. CLAIR COUNTY
What Mondays Primary Means On the Courthouse Question
Reasons Why Pell City And Coosa Valley Are
Supporting Mr.. Hammer

ing in our support of Mr.. Hammer of
Etowah.
Signed
Mr.. Brown is hung on one horn or the
other of a very unhappy dilemma. II he
put this money up simply as an option
that he will either vote for Mr.. Moore's
bill or forfeit his money, we say that he
could we'll afford five times that amount
to kill the bill and that he will very
cheerfully say goodbye to his cash and
regard the beats cheap at the price On
the other hand, If Mr.. Browns promise
to Easonville and Cropwell was not re-
garded as sincere by those people. and
they were suspicious of his promise, his
posting money with them would certainly
add very little to the legal tender value
of his word, and If it did the transaction
comes close to violating the laws of the
state. The problem expressed mathe-
matically, may be stated as follows:
Browns promise minus money equals
no support; Browns promise plus one
thousand dollars equals one hundred
votes; query, 6nd the cost of each vote
On the liquor question we feel that Mr.
Brown does not occupy the enviable posi-
ton of his opponents, Mr.. Hammer of Mr.
Moore Mr.. Browns platform consists
simply of a promise to pass a bill put
ting an end to the dispensaries of Rag
land and Pell CITY, witihout9hny state
Dlenl as 10 his dtiiO0. ElSGMItIe MGSSIS
Hammer and Moore state squarely that
they are opposed to liquor in any shape
or FORM Mr.. Brown has been accused Of
being interested in liquor business in
Gadsden, he does not deny 1t, but offers
$500 dollars to the man who can prove
1t. something no one could hope to do. We
do know, however, that ne Is supported
by the liquor interests In Gadsden and
, that Mr.. Hammer is opposed by them; we
do know further that the law and the SUI
preme court gives Mr. Brown the right
to close his Ragland dispensary tomor-
row, without any legislation, If he was
sincere in his position and that he refuses
to do so.
Is 1t to be wondered then that we are
no less suspicious of his dlspensary prom
Uses than we are of his court house posi-
ton, positions that he has a perfect right
to abandon, by the forfeiture of an In
significant sum compared with what he
viii gain by exercising his option?
On the Pell City dspensary topic Mr..
Brown has hauled In the well-known an
tagonism of few people In the county,
based purely on business motives, against
the dispensary here, in the hope of get
ting enough votes to kill the court house.
We people of Pell City believe we can de-
fend the existence of the dispensary,
whether the basis of argument is moral,
business or selfish grounds We have had
in three years under the dispensary than
in six months without 1t. Two of the sign
ers of this communication had their prop
erty, IL not their lives, threatened by
Illicit whisky sellers when they started
to put them out of business and into jail,
both of which Jobs were successfully ac-
complished without the moral or financial
or physical aid of our friends at Crop
well or Easonvile. We honestly believe
the dispensary is the solution of the liquor
question in the small town, from the
moral standpoint, and that many of the
objections against liquor generally are
more than offset by the revenue enjoyed
that supports good schools and roads
Furthermore, Mr. Brown In our judg-
ment cannot pass a local dispensary bill
in the next house, because we believe the
only dispensary legislation that is to be
enacted will cover the whole state, and
will be fought to the bitter death by the
whisky interest On that issue Mr.. Brown
will vote with his Gadsden supporters
the whisky people, and Mr. Moore and Mr..
Hammer will cast their votes with the
temperance parties who are in favor Of
general dispensary legislation.
These are our reasons for voting against
Mr.. Brown. and we ask all those who
propose to stand by the two court houses
not to be lead away by the efforts made
to blind and deceive them. but will follow
our lead and vote for Mr.. Ed Hammer.
SUMTER COGSWELL,
President Pell City Realty Co.,
CLAUDE B. ALvERSON.
Manager Pel City Hardware Co.,
MLANE TILTON, JR..
Cashier Bank Of st. Clair County,
GEORGE w. PRATT,
President Pell City Manufacturing Co.