The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-15
IS UP ID COUNCIL ID HEED THE VOTERS Captain Smith Says It Disre- gardS Peoples Wishes PROHIBlTIONlSTS BLOCK IT Present Council Was Elected on High License and Strict Regulation
 Platform and Should
 Do It's Duty.
PROHIBlTIONISTS BLOCK IT

To the Editor of The Age-Herald: When the prohibition campaign started
 in Jefferson county the action of the City Council in refusing to pass a high
 license and restricted saloon law was
 made much of by the prohibition leaders.
 They claimed that this was proof posi-
 tive that the majority of the council were
 controlled by the breweries and saloon
 interests, and that saloon regulation could
 not be hoped for or expected from the
 present aldermen.
 Acting on this conclusion they an-
 nounced the proposition that the only
 thing left to do was to vote for prohi-
 bition and thus wipe all saloons out of
 business. Much was made of the fact
 that the Mayors race was made and
 won on platform of high license, segre-
 gatlon and restriction, thus showing that
 the majority of the voters were in favor
 of this restriction.
 The men who are fighting prohibition in
 this county are openly in favor of this policy and have used their efforts in this
 direction before and since the prohibition fight began It now seems to have de- veloped that the real dominating inf1u- ence and work which has kept the ideas
 and hopes of Mayor Ward and other repu-
 table gentlemen from being enacted into law has been the advocates of prohibition
 rather than the whisky dealers and dives. 1 When few days since a higher license and better regulated saloon law was sought to be enacted the only voices
 raised against it were those openly and avowedly for prohibition. Granting that the license of $3200 and $500 was not what l the advocates of saloon reform wanted or asked for, that it was unconstitutional
 and in no way ideal granting that i uniform high license was desired and de-
 manded by the champions of high license
 and saloon regulation, no man can say
 that this ordinance was not a step in
 the right direction.
 Friday night a meeting of the council i was called and Mir J. R. Copeland, whose ] position on this matter has been from I the beginning to the end consistent, who
 has voted for every proposition looking
 towards high license and saloon restric- ] ton, introduced an ordinance seeking to l have even stricter regulations and d uni ] form license of $250O adopted. Following
 the respectful silence which his words
 commanded the two voices only raised in l opposition were the voices of open and avowed prohibtionsts, and their only 1 grounds of opposition were from a prohi- i bition standpoint. The license of $3200
 and $l6OO voted upon few days ago was
 condemned as Hacking" by the seed
 tickers" with other gentlemen who be- | lieved in a high uniform license as the
 best plan. The advocates of prohibition 1 charged that this ordinance was intro- i duced in the interest of the brewers and 1 dives, and intimated that the gentlemen
 who have been active in this campaign
 knew of, and consented to it's introduce l tion.
 1 The wishes of the people of the city l of Birmingham. with reference to saloon
 regulation, should be respected by the l members of the City Council The fight | for prohibition is county fight No man
 would dare assert that a great number of | the voters of Birmingham who elected 1 the present aldermen are not In favor of l high license and strict saloon regulation l No man would dare take the position, l regardless of whether he be for, or l against prohibition. that the people of this
 city have not the right to insist on proper l saloon regulation now, regardless of the 1 county campaign on this question, which ] is now in progress. Tine voters of the l county of Jefferson have a right to eX l press by their ballots their views with | reference to prohibition, and if prohibition l obtains in the county then no saloon law | will be effective in any way whatsoever; l but if it fails, and many of our best citi- l zens believe 1t will fail, the demand on l the part of our people for a high license l and better saloon restriction and reg,ila 1 tion should be acted on now, so that when 1 the eletcion is over no chances will be ! taken.
 There can be no grounds either of fair ness or justice, which would justify an
 alderman in taking position on this
 question, influenced by his own desire
 and wishes as to prohibition. Let the l city and county vote they will on this | matter. but let the City Council heed the
 voice and the wishes of it's best citizens,
 and vote on the proposition of high license | and saloon regulation, as they honestly | believe the people who they serve and | to whom they are accountable, wish them | to vote
 | When this is done. and honestly done. | ti.e criticisms and charges from pulpit,
 newspapers and people will be forever set
 at rest. JOHN G. SMITH. | Birmingham, September IA, 1907. |