The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-10-16

Anuex or Montgomorys attitude on
the constitutional amendment. a vo-
ciferous body OF more than LOO peo-
pie assembled at the Grand Theatre
last nignt to hear Congressman Hugh
Dent launch the fght against the
amendment In the county. with the
most ciean-cut treatment OF the Issue
that has yet been heard here.
Treating the issue In an argumente-
tive vein, he spoke for an hour. Du-
ring that time. not Que word OF villff-
cation for any person came from him,
and no time did he mention q name, ak
cept when he spoke q dozen words Of
Brooks Lawrence. In response to a cry
from the audience.
Not word OF the prohibition laws
was mentioned. except when he dis
missed them. saying:
Il arm not going to discuss any meas
ures of the last Legislatures; IL Is not
necessary. But ! am going to demon
strate why every prohititionist should
vote against tina Amendment"
From the first he thus held out that
1t was not an issue Of prohibition or no
prohibition. but a question which In
volved the sanctity Of constitutional
liberty that has been accorded freemen
since the days OF King John and the
Magma Charta.
The crowd was enthusiastic. The
ooASouy Emu bu0 uIBt uOUF WG96 ukfaUs
almost every seat occupied. Many
seats in the gallery were occupied.
Keyed up to a fervid pitch, every ut
terance Of Congressman Dent and of
the other speakers elected applause.
Tremendous applause came at the first
when Chairman Ray Rushton intro
duced Mr.. Dent as 1.-The biggest little
man I ever knew"
When the speaker of the evening de-
eiared that by o vote Tor the amend
mens the people were voting away the
rights o. freemen. the applause was
prolonged When he told the advc-
rates OF constitutional prohihition that
they were worshipping fetich. an Idol
which has no snind n1r soul nor spirit
the audience cheered as much.
HIS speech was dsliberative dissecs
ton OF the amendment. Not another
Issue or argument entered the address,
and one of the few speeches Of the
campaign. for one side or the other.
that was out and out discussion OF the,
amendment alone. was given tho audi
snce at the Grand last night.
The single break in the trend of ar
gument came when Mr.. Dent was for ed
to mention Brooks Lawrence. But even
then he did not speak OF him as a fac-
tor In the campaign. Incidentally. the
average citizens antipathy TO the
Ohioan was exploited
Mr.. Dent had. toward the conclusion
OF his speech. declared:
II have not yillified anybody: have
spoken from the standp ONT OF reason"
Eyes. but you ortsr ripped Brooks
Lawrence up the back" came an inter-
ruptlng shout from the audience. And
a thousand people yelled.
Mr.. Dent laughed.
From my experience OF twelve
months past" he said. in reference to
Brooks Lawrence's opposition to his
election to Congress. you Tan know
that / haven't much regard for Mr..
Lawrence. But / do not propose to
discuss Brooks Lawrence. ! think him
too infinitesmal" Brooks Lawrence,
In Mr.. Dent opinion, Is not an issue.
He has rather beclouded the issue.
Hon. Charles b. Teasley. Counts
Chairman of the anti-amen dmeni4
forces. opened the even ng's business
when the curtain at the Grand rolled
up.
1dy ut full tilt for an hour before the
meeting time. and an enthusiastic fer
vor prevailed. The crowd greeted the
rising of the curtain with cheers.
Mr.. Teasley told OF the speech max
ing at the court houSs for the pro-
amendment forces. He said that he
was sorry for the, conflict, but that IL
had been occasioned by the other side.
of the county. had been announced be-
fore the other by several days. He
introduced, as Chairman OF the even-
Ing, Ray Rushton.
Mr.. Rushton spoke for a few min
utes. He told of the provisions of the
constitution Of the State. ana OF the
Importance of keeping inviolate the sa-
cred rights delegated thereby.
TT is not a question to be settled
by extremists, this proposed amend
ment" he said. mot by dealers in
liquor on the one hand or by long
haired men and short-haired wOmsn
from other States on the other. but BY
the average conserve tive citizen
He sounded the dangers of the Sec
ond section. which, he said. gives Log
lsiatures the right to construe the con-
stltution.
- quoted fror the law books on
Constitutional Limitations by the Dean
u ..l .Aw school OF the University OF
Michigan In which was said
EFT Is oftentimes better that crimes
20 unpublished than for citizens "a
have their premises searched. their pri.
yAte books, papers and belongings
overturned by suspicious persons. Sc
Iected by ministerial officers for their
physical courage rather than for their
regard for the feelings OF Others.
The popularity OF the cause which IL
In opposition to the amendment was
sounded once, when Mr.. Rushton mem
toned the name OF lie n McCord. The
mention came, not at the conclusion or
an oratorical outburRt, but in COM
monpIace manner. Yet ripple of APP
plause broke out to greet the name OF
the young lawyer who Is working to
defeat the amendment.
CONGRESSMAN Dent was introduced.
Mr.. Dent spoke for an hour, and at
the conclusion the business OF the even
ing was effected, In tie appointment nf
a committee OF i've. upon motion OF
Phares Colemas. which will efte,t pes
manent organization. The committee,
which Will report back at subsequent
meeting OF citizens, 10 to be composed
of Ray RushtCn, Chairman; Phares
Coleman, NJ. P. LeGrand. g: Haas.
W A. Graves and w. w. Hill.
The demonstration that accompanied