The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-24
ANTS HELD B|G RALLY LAST NIGHT Rebie Hall At BeSSemer Filled
 With Men MANY SPIRITED SPEECHES Much Enthusiasm Manifested-Strong Protest Against Women and ChiI- dren Being Brought to Polls on
 Election Day.
MANY SPIRITED SPEECHES

Bessemer, October 23-(Special. )-The -prohibitionsts held a meeting in Rebie hall tonight. Every seat was filled and many men stood. Only men were present.
 T. Y. Huffman presided. The speakers were Capt Frank P. OBrien, R. c. Milli- ken, J. D. Kirkpatrick, Cal Dabbs, J. w. Mcqueen and Wilson Brown Each speaker was warmly applauded, and the meeting was declared to be one of the most successful held in the district.
 Chairman Huffman, after brief opening remarks, introduced Captain O Brien, who advice of those industrial developers who understood the district and who had its best interests at heart.
 ''On this prohibition question, will you take the word of men here whom you know asked the speaker, calling over list of pioneers "or will you take the word of a carpetbagger who comes from a northern state where he could not save his own people? Will you heed the Rev. MT. Stuart, who has been villifying the people of the Birmingham district ever since he came? Will you take the word of Seaborn Wright who the Mayor of Rome. Ga., says would destroy any city. as against the substantial men of Bir- mingham and Bessemer?
 q say to those fanatics who desire to unite church and state, that no man has greater respect for the cloth than |, but when the minister comes into a poiti- cal contest he jf injuring the church and hurting religion.
 'Is it right to drag down our women and children into politics? The polling booth is no place for women. Members of the good government committee have begged some of the preachers to keep women and children away from the polls.''
 Captain O'Brien then quoted remarks made by prohibition women at the polls in Anniston: Look at his nose" and like coarse expressions. The speaker said school teachers had no right to drill chll- dren to work for prohibition. Some of the parents of these school children, he said, were opposed to prohibition. He said 1t was not fair.
 You men, said Captain OBrien, 'should go to your preachers and beg them that whatever they do. to keep ladies from the polls. If I could wipe out whisky, I would gladly do it. But 1t cannot be done. Italians will drink wine and Germans will drink beer and they are the most temperate of people. They will have it legally or illegally. Now the question Is which is the better way"
 Captain OBren contended that licensed saloons was far preferable to the illicit sale of liquor. Now it is up to you" declared the speaker, "to say whether we will have regulated saloons or wild cat business and boot leggers"
 Captain O'Brien then told of the in vestigaton made by Cal Dabbs and Tom Mcdonald in Maine and Kansas. What these men have published. he said, ''is the truth and nothing but the truth
 Mir. MiIliken.
 The next speaker was R. c. Milliken. who visited Maine and Kansas to study prohibition and liquor conditions. 'I have lived in this county but short time." began Mir Milliken, "but in my native state of Texas, I found many Alabamians and have voted for more Alabamians there than native Texans. I have no apologies to make, therefore. for address- ing an Alabama audience I was dem ocratic chairman of my county. I know prohibition tactics well.
 NOW when I went to Maine I was de- termned to tell the truth and I am telling 1t. As a life insurance inspector l have been trained to study the habits of men. and my experience in that line has stood me in good stead in investi- gations regarding prohibition.
 They tell you fhat prohibition does prohibit. Gentlemen. do not believe it It is not true. In Portland and Bangor more drunkenness is found than in BIr. mingham.
 The speaker then went into details and reeited fact after fact and related inter-