The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-24


 cordially invited to be present be- cause this Is a matter that vitally con- cerns every home and family. The Jefferson County Sunday School Cho- rus will render some musical selec- tions behtttng the occasion Pastors of all churches are requested to make this announcement at their Sunday morning services.
 That the prohibition laws are being violated in Birmingham is well known. but existing conditions do not cause dismay. The blind tigers can be rooted out, as shown by the fact that many have been put out of busness. and 1t Is the purpose of the law-abidins citi- gems to see that a clean sweep is made. The mass meeting sunday afternoon will in all probability attract a vast throng and 1t is expected that 1t will be followed by such an awakening of healthful public sentiment that the last bling tiger in the district will be fore ed to cover. h
 It Is popular theory that blind tigers as rule operate under a gov ernment license, the operators fearing the government more than they fear the State or city. However. the opinion of Internal revenue agents is that there are not a large number of places being conducted in Birmingham now where the illicit sale of liauors is car ried on.
 A superficial study of the specia, tax book of the Collector of Internal Revenue for the District of Alabama, shows forty-four Birmingham firms doing a wholesale and retail business in malt and spirituous liquors. exciu- sive of drug stores. which have right to sell under a physicians prescrip- ton.
 It Is popularly supposed that these forty-four firms are maintaining or have maintained blind tigers on their premises, in defiance of the State law. The record indicates that they paid licenses. varying from $25 to $50 for the privilege of selling malt and spir, ituous liquors in wholesale and retail quantities and that all of these H. censes were taken out since July |. most of them in August and a dozen or os in September. But 1t Is said there are several reasons why these firms, who are classvd by the United States Government as liquor dealers are not so in the sense intended by the state law.
 Deputy revenue collectors assert that a large number of the licenses which are recorded on the books are for the privilege of selling near beer" All of the wholesale dealers in malt liquor." and there are many of them. are of this class. whether
 
 bama statute. or not. is now pending decision in the Supreme Court or the State.
 The deputy collectors relate in- stances where they have been oe- liged to collect the tax from grocer's who were selling cider with which had been mixed wine. Neither the re- taller. nor the wholesster who sold the cider was aware that 1t contained a large percentage of wine. An analy- sis was necessary to determine the fact. In this case the retailer and the wholesaler were each told that prosecution would necessarily follow If the tax were not paid-.and it was pale
 There are other instances in which soft drink stands have purchased guaranteed notwithstanding bever- ages from drummers, and who have afterwards been visited by the rev. enue agents and informed that while non-intoxicating, the beverage con- tains above the percentage of alcohol allowed by the government. In these cases a tax was paid and the name of the concern formally entered on the books as retail liqu0r dealer" or "re- tail dealers in malt liquors It ts pointed out that the amount of alcohol allowed by the government, 90 per cent proof. is so small that all near beers" come within the law. That there are blind tigers listed on the special tax book is not denied but it Is claimed that they must be few in number. and, 1t is pointed out. the licenses of several of the, firms whose names appear have since been revoked by the City Council. If the blind tigers are as numerous as rumor would have the people be- lieve, their names do not appear on the books of the Department of Inter- nal Revenue and the collectors are in- clined to believe that they have caught ninety per cent of those engaged in ! the Illicit sale of liquors.
 No one knows just how many blind tigers are in operation, but | it is clearly the purpose of those through whose instrumentality the prohibition law became a fact to get at the root of sthe matter and see that the law is no longer defied. whether by few or by many.
 The official call for the mass meet l ing of Sunday afternoon has been issued and 1t appears in the adjoining column.
 John Proctor Mills Studio of Music