The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-24

source of satlsfactio>> to know that he is not infallible." He then referred to laws and bills drawn up by Weakley which he charged had been consigned to the rubbish pile. As a solemn reminder of all that has gone before the people have that cancelled S50,000 check He then assailed the Fuller bill, its deelara- tions of prima facie evidence of guilt it's placing the burden of proof on the de- fendant, and it's provision that conviction might be had on anything that looks like liquor
 The denial of the right of the wife to make blackberry wine was touched upon. Prefxing his attack on the second sec ton of the proposed amendment by a statement that officers failing to enforce the law were impeached and for enforcing the law were shot, he continued against empowering a sheriff to search the home He brought to the mind of his hearers the recent outrage of the Nelson family of Mobile. He charged that the purpose of the second section was rather to put a ban on the home or to limit the amount of liquor that might be kept therein. He then charged that if adopted 1t would be unconstitutional under the fourteenth amendment to the constitution of the Uni ted States.
 He dealt with conditions in Maine and Kansas, where constitutional prohibition has obtained for many years. By statistics he showed that in these two states there has been smaller growth in church mem- bers in proportion to population than any one of 12 western and nine eastern states. Mir. O'Neal then flew into Conner for say ing in defense of the adoption of the amendment that he feared the next legis- oh ha nd fhof o brax at the present time was going over the state with slush fund. Mir. O'Neal ex- pressed himself as positive that a legisla- tare could not be bought and assailed Comsr for questioning the integrity of the people of Alabama He declared his be- lief that Rockefeller was a contributor to the Ant-Saloon league. He referred to the fact that one section of the Fuller bill was held unconstitutional by a Mobile judge the other day.
 Yes" Weakley put in "a police judge
 But an honest judge" MT. ONeal re- piled. and there was great applause.
 Nearing conclusion MT. ONeal spoke as follows:
 Other Prohibition Waves.
 There have been other prohibition waves. There have been other reigns of
 
 fish and cowardly politicians. but never before in the recent history of this coun- try have white men been asked to forge chains for their own hands for no other purpose than the perpetuation of the reign or an oligarchy. Defeat of the amendment means not only the defeat of Comer but the defeat of Weakley. In spite of this we might be able to stand 1t, appreciat- ing the fact that God loves those whom 1I< -4o ~kI Al. state are working that there might be another such despotic legislature. I don't know what Conner planted, but do know that the people have reaped discord, mis- cry. ceaseless agitation, a stripped treas ury. capital driven away, panic and stoppage of industrial development"
 He then paid his respects to the women. He regretted that they had put them selves under the wing of Brooks Law renee of Ohio, where the social barriers are n,.t drawn. We men of the south defended you years ago with the sword and by giving up our lives, and we are ready to do so again.
 WeakIey Introduced.
 Judge Weakley on facing the people declared that he had lived 20 years in the valley of the Tennessee before entering a field of larger endeaYor and through AlLC hc odlu, ndNb CdIIltQ WilU Iue the teachings of my sainted mother" He followed this introduction by declaring that his opponent had said little about the amendment and litrle about any thing els. that was accurate"
 T serve notice on him." the speaker continued, that if he goes with me over the state he will have to be accurate as to fact and careful of speech" He de- clared that he had witnessed very lt- nf fnc ha isting order of things in the Tennessee valley. He declared his surprise that O'Neal had seen fit to lecture the ladies. q am too wise a man to throw my self between the ladies and the men in their conflict. 1 will leave him here to them and feel certain of the out come" He charged O'Neal with hav- ing used irrevalent argument contending that had the debate been held under provisions of court practically all that he had said would have been thrown out. He declared his determination to keep off political issues and out of political argument "I refuse to argue the mat ter of compensation that l received from the state and I will do so at later date if he desires. I never received a penny of the $50,000 he refers to. and another thing, I will show you that he knows very little of the Fuller bill and the statutes of railroad legislation"
 All His Laws Will Hold.
 He then stated that no law drawn by him was ever found unconstitutional though one or more had been repealed on account of immateriality. He then referred to the fact that O'Neal had said he was attorney for the Anti-Saloon league That is true, but if my oppon- ent intends to spread the report that I have received a penny to which l was not entitled no one in this state will believe him." In ONeals speech refer ence was made to Speaker Carmichael and the fact that he was for the legis- lature on a platform favoring the dis pensary MT. Weakley affirmed that he was not in Sheffield to debate the speak er He then pitched into the record or ONeal, stating that the last banner O'Neal followed was the rum banner. 'The difference between the gentleman and the speaker" Weakley continued, was that the speaker was following trail leading to the abolition of the sa- loon and the gentleman was following one for the perpetuation of the saloons
 He then proceeded to criticise O'Neals speech at the Montgomery conference and to criticise other speeches delivered there. In defending his attempt to bring about A change in the constitution he referred to the action of O'Neal in 1907 IS a mem her of the constitutional convention which wrought several changes in the docu- ment and laid the foundation, the speak or said for the disfranchisement of the hundred thousand voters who haven't paid their poll tax this year. He then argued that there Is nothing In the amendment to prevent change or the prohibition laws in case such change IS