The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-17
HARDING FAYORS
 CAUTION IN FIGHT Prohibition Must Not 0utrun
 Public Sentiment TOO MUCH POLITICS NOW State Upset By Campaign Last Year, and Next Year Will Be Worse
 Than EVer-Make
 Haste Slowly.
TOO MUCH POLITICS NOW


 the proposed prohibition fight in Jeffer- son county as follows:
 "The arguments advanced by prohi bitlon advocates as to the evils of the liquor traffic are unanswerable, and l be- lleve that ultimately this traffic will be entirely abolished or else regulated in some way so as to make 1t least harmful, but l think 1t will be con ceded that prohibition, to be effective, should not come in advance of a public sentiment that will enforce it. We do not want to incur the evils of blind tigers, which would deprive our city and county of revenues from licenses and would give us in a worse form than ever all the evils of whisky. Many instances may be cited where cities, hibition laws and finding their enforce ment impossible have. after some years, again permitted the sale of whisky. We do not want to move too fast In this
 
 of whisky has been licensed by na- tional, state, county and city authorities for several generations, and it seems to me that from n business standpoint and from moral standpoint. as well as in the interests of true prohibition, delay of a few months in this matter would be desirable.
 AS a business proposition, I should regret to see this question forced to an issue in this county during the pres ent year. Last year was one of stren- uous politics, and the struggle incl dent to the adoption of the policies of the present state administration has kept up interest in politics with its cor responding unrest all during the pres ent year. Next year Is the presidential year and we will of course have a great deal of politics then. We have now between times a few months in which we might all attend to business. From moral standpoint, 1t seems to me that the property rights of those In the liquor business would be entitled 10 fair consideration. AS rule the sa- loon men have been law-abiding and they have thousands of dollars invested in goods and fixtures as well as leases at high figures which do not ezr for an average time of several mon,.-s Im- mediate prohibition would men the con 1scation of the property of these men, who whatever may be said of this bus mess, are entitled to fair play, as they have been operating under licenses granted by state and national auth orl- ties There are probably more than three score store houses in the business part of the city of Birmingham In which liquor Is sold The owners or these stores would have to find other tenants, and should snap Judgment De taken there would be general de- rangement of rental values.
 "Should a prohibition election be forced upon us this fall there would De many who for considerations Just stated would vote against the propo- sition. who might favor it under other circumstances. I trust, therefore that this whole question will be postponed until some time next summer, when we will be full of politics anyway, and little more will not make any diHerence' | The various interests that would De directly affected by prohibition would have time to arrange for going out ot i business and for getting other tenants for their property, and the whole ldea could be carried into effect in an or derlv way with much less friction than would be the case if prohibition should heoome effective on the first of next January.
 "It is evident on every hand that here in the Birmingham district we have Weathered the unfavorable bar ometric indications that threatened with railroad regulation, and taxing ques- tions. and that with a period Of rest from agitation the industrial lie here will take on new growth, and that we shall have greater and more rapid development in the near future than heretofore.
 Lets have a period of peace and steady effort towards development of our city on greater and broader lines for the common good of every interest business, social and moral, and curb our impatience to follow again the lead of Georgia, until we see how the sec ond experiment works out in Atlanta, Savannah and other of those larger cities"