The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-18
PUR|TAN|SM BAD
 FOR THE SOUTH Major Havens Cites Objections
 to Prohibition SAYS PRINCIPLE IS WRONG Deprecates Mingllng Religion and Poli- tics-ReIieion Should Never Con- troI Civil Matters, Accord
 ing to Writer.
SAYS PRINCIPLE IS WRONG

Ma jor B F. Ravens has written a let
 ter 10 the editor of The AgeHerald i'll
 which he outlines certain objections to
 prohibition which will no douotl be ot
 interest at the present time Major Ravens is former paymaster in the
 United States army and has had con
 siderable experience with prohibition in
 Indiana his former home He was
 member of the legislature in that state
 and introduced the bill which did away
 with local option and placed g license
 law in it's stead. Major Havens is see'
 retary of the Birmingham Mutual Say
 ings, Loan and Building association His
 letter is as follows:
 To the Editor of The Age Herald:
 The prohibition crusade in Birmingham and elsewhere in Alabama is sentimental, hysterical and purtancal, founded upon
 mixed ideas of religion and politics. When
 people in a community mix up the re-
 ligion of our Saviour with politics, religion gets in the wrong road.
 Every government is an evil, from the , fact that it takes from men natural
 rights. This is done, that government can exist The law lays down the rule of action for our civil conduct. Religion furnishes the rule for our religious con duct The minister mistakes his voca- ton when he goes into politics to regu-
 late the conduct of others according to 1 his notions and way of thinking lie knows or should know the moral side of things. He believes, as all good men believe that n en should be sober, industrious, honest citizens. He believes that law will make men so. Right here is where the minister gets wrong. Men never have been and never will be made sober, honest and industrious by law. They can be restrained and punished for the violation of the law. The bottom proposition of prohibition is wrong in spirit and vicious. in legislation, Tor the reason that the prohibitionist says: "I do not drink, and you shall not!' The prohbitonist measures his brothers grain in his own half bushel., and in that position he Is wrong. That prohibi- tion does not prohibit l will not argue. My position is that 1t is wrong In prin- clple, in the fact that 1t interferes with right that Is my natural right.
 Georgia in her late law upon pro- hibiton is an example of injustice to men. A club of 300 can take out H. cense and have a locker for liquors, and nothing can prevent the members from going to the Locker" when they care to- Special privileges given to the rich and well to do. The laboring man that Georgia and the south want so bad Is not thought of. That 90 per cent of the crime in our land is caused by drink Is preposterous proposition and Is not supported by the facts. The state health officer of Louisiana In an address short time ago said that 20 per cent of the drunkeness in the United States was caused by bad cooking. And there your are. These arguments are alike, sentimental, exaggerated and largely without founda- tlon Prohibitonists charge that we are a nation of dram drinkers and drunkards or fast becoming so. A statement Of sentiment and not supported by the facts The fact Is that as nation we stand No in the amount of liquors drank per capita. And that includes beer, that has but little alcohol in 1t. To say to the peo- pie that they shall eat, drink and wear what the law says Is wrong and an in- terference with the rights of men.
 Drunkeness is an evil; the law punishes this. Stealing and other crimes are an evil; the law punishes the violator. The social evil Is serious in almost every community. The law punshes 1t and Keeps 1t in check so far as possible. No one ever thinks of killing violators of the law in this matter.
 That the least evil a community can have from the sale of liquor Is a ques- ton near to all and a position all can agree upon. How to get the least evil from the sale of liquor is a problem.
 Prohibtlonlsts say stop it's sale. Prohibit 1t entirely. The other side say license Its sale with well guarded regulation. License
 is the only just and fair solution of the liquor question. Under this there Is no class or unjust legislation,j as there IS
 under prohibition. The rich or well to do
 man can have and get all the liquor he wants wherever prohibition exists. The hard working wage-earner cannot. Why this fight upon the laborlng man? They know better what they want for them
 selves than prohibitionists know for them.
 And here Is where 1 deny the prohibition ists the right to decide that their notions shall be the other persons rule of action upon this question. Birmingham has plany of law now. To enforce the laws
 as they stand in Birmingham and Jef- ferson county would stop the wheels of
 trade and commerce In a large degree and make the city tyranical and puritanical before the world.
 If the south wants to prosper in the future as 1t has in the past it must not become puritantcal.
 l The south wants Anglo Saxon people to
 settle within her borders-they will
 not All up the south while puritanism threatens to take from them their per sonal liberty.
 l add that I have only been citizen | of Alabama for about two years and Bir- l mingham for over six months. This city | Is destined to be the greatest city In the l south within twenty years. It will not
 grow as it should with puritanism on the 1 one hand religion on the other controlling | civil matters.
 (MAJOR) B. F. RAVENS. | Birmingham, September F, 1907.
 "A letter from Willis M. Andrews is