The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-08
MIR. DENTS QUESTION ANSWERED
sswho is BrooIka Lawrencef" (Communicated.1

He ia A citizen of Alabama. He IS q Democrat The Committee of the Anti-Saloon League. in search or suitable man for Sunertntendent, maoe special Inquiry about his politics pc fors the place was offered him. lie and his father before him have been Democrats and MT. Lawrence support ed Bryan in both campaigns. MT Lawrence is a Presbyterian minister, being a member in good standing or the Alabama Presbytery. He preacnes as many sermons as any man in Ala, bama. If he is not working for Goo and humanity and preaching the Cos pei of love and peace" when he de- votes his entire energies to fighting the liquor damon, we fall to under stand the ministerial office.
 me preachers of all faiths in Ala bama tell us that the greatest barrier to the furthera1ce of the Gospel IS the liquor trafiic. The most terrihc blows that the traffic in Alabama ever received were at the hands of this very man, Lawrence. backed by the aroused Christian sentiment of the whole State.
 MT. Lawrence did not organize the Alabama Anti-Saloon League. It was organized by Alabama men three years before they ever heard-the name of Brooks Lawrence. The work of
  rer of Alabama where the ravages of liquor are not felt and where the work of the League Is not needed. It has members in every district of the state. Mir. Dent is opposed to Outside h. terference." That is the very heart of the Anti-Saleon League's centen- tion. They do not want our Alabama law interfered with by the liquor deal CTS of other States.
 It is all wrong--according to Mfr. | DeRt--for anyone outside of his dis trict to write letters to the voters in his district; but 1t Is all right for the liquor dealers in chattanooga, Mem phis and Pensacola to ship their liquor into Alabama to make void. as far as possible, our Alabama law
 The Alabama Anti-Saloon League is presided over by the writer. whose of- flee has been in Montgomery for twenty years. Ee was born in Wilcox County, and is well-known to almost every voter in the district. As Presi- dent, he signed the circular about which Mir. Dent complains. HIS NAME APPEARS FIRST. but Mir. Dent skips over the name of the President not once does he name him--but turns the vials of his wrath loose upon MT. Lawrence. His object cannot be dis guised--to create prejudice against this great leader of the temperance forces, because he happened to be born north of Mason and Dixon's Line We do not believe this attempt will affect the sensible voters of the Sec ond District.
 Mir. Dent calls this personal attack The circular does not discuss DENT THE MAN. Not a word Is said about his personal character. A DENT, THE CANDIDATE and his PUBLIC UTTER ANCES are discussed. The public ut- terances of a public man are public property. and no apology is needed. talked of letter says: "oF ALL YOUR CANDIDATES. THE HON. VIM IL SANFORD OF TROY IS THE ONLY ONE TO TAKE PRONOUNCED STAND FOR THE PASSAGE OF SUCH LAW" Is not that fact? MT. Dent admits it. The circular says TO SUCH A LAW" IS NOT THAT A FACT7 The whole of Mir. Dents pub lished speech proves the assertion true Not once does the circular dic- tate as to whom the voter shall vote for. It does not say vote against Dent or vote for Sanford; but closes with the affectionate entreaty: we beg of you to work and vote for one who will aid us in every way possible In the most perfect protection of our homes. our wives, and our children"
 Mir. Lawrence, as Superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League. does not con- troI the money of the League. Rev. I. D. Steele of Birmingham, is tho Treasurer and not a dollar is paid out without a voucher, and the accounts are regularly audited. MT. Dent seeks to prejudice his hearers against the League when he says: That League Is drawing whatever money 1t can from men, women and children in this land" All the money coming into the treas ury of the League comes voluntarily from men and women and children, whose hearts incline them to do what they can to save homes and children and country from the richest corpora ton on earth. whose money flows like a stream to help every candidate who Is against the prohibition laws and tn cir enforcement.
 Mir. Dent devotes much of his speech to proving the unconstitutionalfty of any of the four bills introduced In the last Congress and discourages the idea of our hoping to get law that would stand the test. The AntiSaloon League Is not without legal advisers. We have the opinions of some of the best attorneys in the state. We are sure law can be framed which will be constitutional. Whether that is so UT not we nave oniy asked candidates for Congress to say they would do their best to protect Alabama from the liquor dealers of other States. Of course, we want no unconstitutional law passed. MT. Dent, in his speech, decrying the possibility of such law. crying down the Anti-Saloon League, whose members are all over the dis trict, shows himself an enemy to the prohibition law and it's best enforce uent and fully iustfdas fha circular letter of which he complains. Said letter was signed by the writer of this communication, who has the honor of being the President Of the Anti-Saleon League.