The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-12
White Gibson,

The next speaker was w nlte 6lDSOn. u was an mpromptu effort. but MT. Gid- son proved himself a fluent orator. witty, trenchant and eloquent, and no preacher could have been much better Versed in scripture.
 I've haven't met" he began, ito in- dulge in personalities or to criticise neighbors because neighbors are voting for prohibition. The good book says love your neighbor Let it be understood that we acknowledge the Supreme Ruler of the Universe that we reverence ministers of the gospel. The church is noble institution, established by God. And God gave us, too personal freedom. Now we are here tonight not simply in the interest of our manhood, but of our prop erty as well. If there was ever a time you should cling to the goddess of lib- erty it is now. Personally I have no in- terest in the liquor business; have no relatives engaged in the liquor traffic. But I think men engaged in that business are still American citizens and should be treated as such. We should love our neighbors as ourselves. Who is my brother? Every man. Yet here are men, not two, or three, but hundreds of them, whose property is to be swept away by the ballot if prohibition prevails I believe prohibitionists are honest In their views. but if they wish to do what is right let them make up purse and go 
 you take? We wish to buy you out. If a price cannot be agreed upon then let them go to the courts, have the courts condemn and then pay what the court decrees is fair valuation. If prohibi- tion Is right. in the name of heaven don't let's rob the other fellow It is a dis tnction without difference whether you take away the liquor mans property at the ballot or by revolver hold him up. The Bible commands us to love our neigh Dor. Let us do right.
 "rhey say-these prohibitionsts-th you can tell which side a man is on by the way he smells. The Bible don't teach any such doctrine as that. It is not Chris tian charity to talk that way. This is not a religious meeting, but we must all have in mind the command. Do unto oth CTS what you would have others do unto you If the prohibitonists would come in a spirit of fairness, then we might lis- ten; until then, I beg you to defeat pro- hibition at the polls. l don't believe in coercion. | am not even going to ask this crowd how it is going to vote. But I will tell you about Kansas and about Texas, states with which 1 am very familiar
 The speaker then narrated some of his experiences. and told of many amusing observations to show how prohibition did not prohibit He said he could never believe in prohibition because he had lived too close to "the woods"
 "Of course, I don't believe in drunken ness,' said Gibson. but because one man abuses liquor is no reason why thou sands who indulge moderately and with out harm to themselves should be de- prived of their rights. As well say be- cause cucumbers give collie keep cucum bers off the table. A drink Is a good thing, but it won't do to overload your self. Religion is good thing, but too much of it will send some men to the lunatic asylum There Is nothing but what can be abused. Prohibition may pro hibit the sale of good liquor, but it will not prohibit the sale of bad stuff-tangle- foot and the like"
 Br. Gibson touched upon the effect pro hibition would have on the cty's flnan- ces. He l1inted at a heavy street tax and all sorts of extra burdens. The money, he said, must come from some where. The speaker said that every man should be the autocrat of his own stom- ach, but as for prohibition there was a great principle of law involved. Law is not the result Of passion. There is but one instance in jurisprudence where private property may be destroyed with out compensation and that is when a block of buildings is on fire. One of the buildings may be- ~dynamited to save the rest MT. Gibson ended his speech by saying there was no use for men to hold meetings unless they were going to stick up for their rights; but this he believed they would do.