The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-07
Significant Extracts from Anti
 Saloon League Organ
WHAT NEW LAW REQUIRES
Brooks Lawrence EditoriaIIy Urges All Counties to Organize at Once and Not Wait Until
 Next Year.

While the City Council is tied up on it's whisky legislation, and the pastors | are pi eparing for their all important | meeting on the 9th of next month, there is no little curiosity and considerable un- | easiness on the part of saloon men. Even if they did know what to expect, it SC ms they would be at a loss how to fight, except by local opposition in elec- l ton.
 The recent issue of the Alabama Citi- zel., the official organ of the Alabama Anti-Saloon league, which is published in Birmingham by Brooks Lawrence throws some light upon the stand which the members of that organization will take throughout the state. The league has not only secured the passage of favorable bills through the legislature, but has gen 1 eral support from all sides and its stand will have considerable bearing. Relative to the time of beginning the campaign in Jefferson county, we'll as everywhere else, MT Lawrence has this to say, edi- torially:
 Every county proposing to take action under the county local option law should begin at once their work of organization | anc. getting ready. There will be no easy elections in Alabama. The liquor people, | all who make revenue out of the sale of intoxics ting liquors, will not yield their position without a hard fight If any county waits until after January l. 190S to hcl1 an election their saloons will not be compelled to close until December | 3I, 1908.
 mi | iT1nn mt hat fla counties should begin action now. A num- Der are already organized and petitions are in circulation. A letter to Anti-Sa- loon league headquarters at Birmingham will bring printed petition blanks. and complete instructions for organization
 Contest Seems Probable.
 Coming from MT. Lawrence, who is chairman of the committee and behind the movements of the Pastors union, and Is also a voter and speaker in that body, the probability of prohibition con test this winter is e~@ily seen. Many prominent citizens already conceding the fact, and one, especially influential, saia the best thing that could be done is to try prohibition two years, and then, | If 1t falls, vote 1t out.
 l pecially interesting on account of the presence of a number of laymen, who will be invited. No doubt some of them will prefer dispensares to prohibition but on that subject they will meet almost {. unanimous front on the part of the min isters
 What the Law Requires.
 In case the pastors do decide to make the fight this Is what the county local option law requres:
 One fourth, or more, of the qualified voters of the entire country must petition in writing the probate judge of the county | for election.
 The election must be ordered by the probate judge within ten days from the date petition is filed In his office
 The date of the election must be fixed by the probate judge in not less than thirty days nor more than forty days from the date petition Is filed in his office
 No election can be held within thirty days of the time of holding any county, state or national general or primary elec- tion.
 Notice of election must be published for twenty days preceding the election in | some newspaper published in the county, or by posting at five or more public places if there Is no newspaper published In the county. It is the duty of the sheriff to attend to this publication of election.
 The machinery of the election Is prac- tically the same general election laws. The managers, returning officers etc., are to be chosen from representatives of the two sides as far as possible
 Only such persons as are qualified cleo tors under the constitution and general election laws can vote at a local option election.
 When an election has been held another election can not be held for two years. No election held under this law au- l thorize the sale of liquors in any territory that is now under prohibition law.
 If the majority of votes cast at any election are against the sale of liquor then all places where intoxicating liquors are sold must close their doors and discon- tinue business after December 31 follow ing. If a majority of the votes cast are for the sale of liquor then the conditions in that county remain just they were be- for the election was held. If there were dispensary saloons, then these would con tinue; if there were bar rooms, then these would continue.
 No election can be held in any county where there are only dispensary saloons for two years-that is not until February 26, 1909. In counties where there are dis pensary saloons and bar rooms the lat ter can be voted out at any time.
 Conditions in Prohibition States.
 The Citizen also has a few aptr re- marks on an evil that Is being fought by Birmingham authorities pretty gener- ally which may be a revelation to some
 Some pro-liquor newspapers have been having "spasms'' recently over the condi- tions in prohibition territory, quoting some figures without giving the source | of their information. such as the claim that Topeka, Kan, sold 2l,2S3 packages of whisky in a year. But we think 1t much better than 5oO00 or 100000 packages, or any other greater number.
 "We have taken the trouble to do a little Investigating and we find that one drug | store in Birmingham sells an average of | about 10O packages five days In the week