The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-01

have tried local prohibition or local option
 differs in no way from that of the states
 which have tried prohibition. It has uni
 formly failed to prohibit and brought in
 it's wake a long train of attendant evils
 and disaster. From 1890 to 1903, 1853 com
 munities have voted on the subject of
 local option In 510 of these communities local option was defeated by approximate ly a thirds vote. In the remaining 1343 communities local option carried by fair majorlties In the first instance. In few of these communities elections have
 been held frequently, with results alter mating between license and local option
 In 592 communities local option is nomi-
 nally in force, but In few, If any, is there any real enforcement, while the towns have suffered severely in many ways from the
 effects of the measure.
 In 751 communities in which at the first election local option carried 1t has since
 been defeated, the communities being satisfied by experience that 1t was failure. The aggregate majorties in favor of local option In all such communities at the first election on the subject was
 10S942. The aggregate majorities Tor license in the same communities when local option was repudiated was 159,611.
 Notable among the communities adopt ing local option was the city of Atlan1l.
 In less than two years this city saw
 HOO of Its houses vacant, It's debt en- larged, It's taxes increased, and drunken
 ness more riotous than had ever before
 been known. With the promptness
 that the case demanded the city re-
 pudiated the law in November. 1887,
 by a majority which left little hope of ever again imposing 1t upon her people.
 Prohlpitlon has been no more success ful in Canada than in the United States. A few years ago a law was passed simi-
 lar to those in force in the states of the
 union, and was given a sincere and earn
 est trial. In April, 1889, 1t was repealed
 Every town and city in Canada which
 voted on that day rejected prohibition.
 Thomas Jefferson knew human nature
 when he said: ''Tel any man he shall
 not do a thing or have thing and that
 thing becomes the very one which he
 wishes to do or have.'
 In England by act @ George IT, Chi, 23) a law prohibitlve in effect was enacted.
 Of course the effect of this law Smollet says: "The populace soon broke through all restrain. Though no license was ob- tained and no duty paid, liquor contin- ued to be sold in all corners of the streets and the consumption consider ably increase every year. when Tn 1743 this act was repealed it was shown that the consumption of spirits had in- creased during the life of the act from bZTODD RallOnS III lNof ho ftlp,voo 6hAicitS in l742. Herbert Spencer, commenting on the effect of the act, says: Beyond the | encouragement of fraud, lying, malice, | cruelty. murder. contempt of law and conspcuous crookedness, multitudlnous | other evils were caused or augmented and indirect demoralization was added 10 a direct increase of the vice aimed at Wellington, Kansas, Standard. "We have been asked to give few in o1InnOrt of assertions IDal 1 the prohibition law in this state Is fall- ure. we comply with the request and state below some of the facts that have weighed materially with us;
 ''In our Judgment the prohibition law Is @ failure. ,. "Because it does not prohibit. Because 1t is not enforced In haI | dozen counties in the state.
 l "Because the sentiment of the people IS | against It's enforcement, and such being | the case local officers cannot secure con 1 victions under 1t. l Because 1t does not stop the sale or l liquor, inasmuch as 1t Is patent to all | who care to know that all wno "ah' | whisky can obtain IL.
 "Because 1t simply transfers the sale | of uouor from licensed saloon keepers | to Missouri wholesalers and brewers, anu !. throws the retail business in the hands of tointists, boot-leggers, and men who | have no interest In good order, morality | or taxation.
 | Because many men who talk prohioi- l ton on the street and in church receive I whisky by express, and drink it as i they always did.
 | 'Because men who will lie on no other | occasion go to drug stores and lie nke | Trojans to obtain liquor under the law.
 "Because, in order to secure convic- ton under it. witnesses must be secured l to testify that they have purchased liquor | of the defendant, which Is almost lm- | possible Men will not go back on their l friends
 Because under it's workings whisky IS ! sold and no one but the government | realizes A license from it's sale. | "Because its enforcement Is worse than l mockery in every large city in the