The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-24
|GOODWYN PROPOSES MEASURE TO
 MAKE PRECINCT THE OPTION UNIT

pronounced himself an advocate of local option on principle.
 The proceedings of the committee were a continuance of the previous day's session, when persons favoring the passage of the bill were heard. When the meeting was called to order by Associate ChairInen McWhorter and Ballard the assembly room of the House. In which the meeting was held, was filled with interested auditors. There were members of the Senate and House not members of the committee, and many men and women interested the committee, furnished a white flow CT. emblematic Of the temperance cause. to the members of the committee and to those interested In the bill. Mrs. R. D. Johnston Of Birmingham was requested to adress the committed. but she declined, and in her place, her husband, General johnston, spoke. q feel that I am on firm ground, General Johnston said Il am sure I am in the right when l advocate local option" He was born, he said, in Macklen- which, by the formal dissolution of It's bonds to Great Britain, had established the county unit as principle or gov ernment. The county had every rignt, he declared. to regulate its internal af fairs, and he expressed surprise that the right had been questioned. oI course the majority of county has the right to regulate Its anairso-and the affairs of it's towns too.' Meck- lenburg County, anu it's chief town Charlotte, in North Carolina, he said' were thriving under prohibition rue. General Johnston's speech was warmly
 Mir. Goodwyn, Representative of Montgomery County in the House, pre- scented bill which, he asked, should be adopted as substitute Tor the I,oyeiady measure MT. Goodwin ex- plained that his bill was in many re- spects similar to that of MT. Loveiady, but that 1t changed the unit from tne which liquor was sold. and he pre- cincts outside the incorporated towns.
 sThen you are opposed that that local option bill? question Rev. Brooks haw renee, who, upon the previous day. nau 5si snolxen in advocacy of the Lovelady
 Tn reply MT. Goodwin said that he was an advocate of local option, ana of a local option bill far better than that of MT. I.ovelady.
 Blackburn Attacks Bill.
 Hon. Felix Blackburn of Birming- ham was recognized by the chair, and he spoke at some length upon the bill of Mir. Lovelady. He said It was a magnificent bit of literature. and one of the most ingeniously drawn bills hc had ever seen. The peopie want and the people should have, TO- cal option, MT. Blackburn said. The party had pledged itself to passage of local option bill, and Governor Co., mer had preached the doctrine throughout the State. But the Love- lads bill, he declared, did not aIioro lg.gal option, and he did not believe fudge Mayfield, who, 1t was discover ed, had prepared the bill would say it afforded local option.
 Had O n- tion bill" said MT. Blackburn, no body would have known what 1t was.
 In section 1, he contended, the idea of local option was expressed, only to be denied thoroughly in Section 10, which would preclude local option in f counties in which prohibition was in force That section. he declared was the condensed sentiment of the move
 ment, was the brains of the bill, and looked inevitably toward absolute prohibition.
 MT. Blakburn argued for a smaller unit than the county. He said the people wished and expected the pre- cinct to be the unit. He opposed the section of the bill permitting drug stores to sell liquor.
 lion. Jesse F. Stallings of Birming- ham followed MT. Blackburn. MI. StuIlings was expected to make fun, I and he did not disappoint. Though | if was not possible to doubt the seri- l ousness of his purpose in addressing | the committee, he lost no opportunity | to stir his hearers to laughter. He | spoke almost exclusively upon com 1 parison of the LoYelady ana the Gnodwyn bills. Wants Party to Keep Faith. MT Stallings first said his interest in the Democratic party and In the Commonwealth had lnduceu nm rl Lo como before the committee. The Larty. he explained, had pledged it. self to local option and he wished the party to keep faith. There had al
 ways been prejudice against the sale however reprehens1ble. WAS legal, ana the revenues from it's sale had sup
 ported the armies of the State and had educated the children.
 Are tine anti-saloon people par ty?" MT StalIlngs asked. At least they are no adjunct to the Democratic paTty g9ddo we Tsepe nsea is itY party He pleaded that the Legislature The Lovelady bill, he declared. was
 he he himself was a prohibi donist, but the people must be educated up to prohibltion. which must follow moral suasion and not Iegislation. He
 reeommended Mir. Goodwyn's bill.
 coin they would bring, he stated: Their eSta DllShinent nad peeH Bi cat blow to the cause of prohibition. That is, 4 new, strange theology, the sale of whiskey by the pint, said MT. Stallings. after having explained that the dispehsarles were backed by che
 In conclusion. Mr. Stuiings oppos- ed the sale of liquor oy drug stores;
 The committee adjoIrned at 6.30 o'clock and will cop tinue the hearing at o'clock today.
 WILL RECOMMEND DISPENSARY' Joint Committee On Temperance Votes