The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-24
Mir. kirkpatrick,

MT NHHpatTiCks J. D. Kirkpatrick on being intro- duced, said he had not come to make | a speech, but to indulge in a little plain talk. He said he visited Besse- mer with MT. DeBardeleben twenty years ago and as he had lived in the district a long time he was familiar with things.
 q wish knew more of this question" said Mr. Kirkpatrick, "in order to in duce voters to come out and vote against prohibition. But one thing can do; can sustantiate what MT. Mill liken has told you about conditions ! in Maine. l spent last summer in that state.
 T had not been in Maine for twenty five years, and had really forgot that it still had the prohibition law. Every where l went I found liquor sold as openly as it is in Birmingham. It was not brought to my mind that Maine had prohibition until I struck the town of Greenville. There the drunken noise was so bad that I asked what was the matter with the place. The reply came promptly, Why it is this fool prohibi- tion law With my experience in Maine l concluded that prohibition absolutely fails of it's purpose.
 But no matter how prohibition might operate in some little country town; we want none of it in the cities of Jefferson. Birmingham and Bes- semer are no rural towns. The ques- tion is what is the best thing for this county? A prohibi bition law would not be enforced, but 1t would make sneaks and hypocrits While some business people say that prohibition would not hurt business, they are in such a minor ity they are not worth considering. It is a. pretty good idea to let things stand as they are, for Jefferson county is now prosperous and her people hap py. Birmingham is a bright place. It is full of snap and vim. Let's keep it so.
 But I am against the experiment on moral grounds"
 MT. Kirkpatrick told about what he knew from personal observation of the failure of prohibition in a number of places. He said that maudlin sentiment never commended itself to substantial people. He cited the old Saxons and Angles and our modern Anglo Saxon peo- pie as specimens of stalwart manhood. I hose called Anglo-Saxons are the strong est and most successful people the face of the globe yet they have been free drinkers. Julius Caesar found the ancient Saxons absolutely debauched with liquor. And yet their descendants form the dominant race of the world today; and the richest,
 Mir. Kirkpatrick concluded by suggest ing that the best way to bring up boys with temperate, manly habits, etc., was to instill in them the virtue of modera- ton and impress on them the impor- tance of being able to resist temptation.
 MT. McQueen.
 The chairman said that every large furnace corporation was against prohibi- tion; that being so he would introduce a representative of one of the great com panies, J. w. Mcqueen, vice president of the Sloss- Sheffield. Hearty applause)
 I did not come to this meeting expect ing to make q speech" said MT. Me Queen. T have been here in this district for 20 years helping to turn the wheels of industry. l hope to live to see what we have already done doubled.
 Now, men, don't be swept off ~yol-, feet by fanatcism. We have got the moral side of this question. 1 have had some experience in a prohibition county Prohibition does not prohibit. Prohibi- tionists tell you that prohibition states are more prosperous than those where the saloon is licensed. They are trying-to fool you. The testimony of Dabbs and Mcdonald cannot be questioned. Prohibit ton is only sham temperance"
 Mr. Mcqueen told of a recent conver- sation he had with Vice President Gray of the Frisco system MT. Gray said that in certain prohibition town in Kansas the saloons were finer than any he had seen in Birmingham.
 .. will tell you about Tiger Bill. noted character in Kansas who undertook to inforce prohibition" said MT. Mcqueen. ..riger Bill said if ..iey would put him in charge he would put down the liquor traffic. He was honest and he was fear less. He brought in go cases in one county. The facts were there The evil dence was perfect. The jury. without leaving the box. said, not guilty Tiger Bill has now quit.
 Now. gentlemen, what does this county want to try prohibition for? Some say, let's give it a trial What for? Try an experiment that is sure to fail here. Do you want to stop the wheels of progress?
 'I believe in churches. I am churca man myself, and because of my interest in religioni l am opposed to minister's go- ing into politics. Ladies have been misled