Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1909-11-27
PROHIBITION AT STAKE
Alabama Campaign Has Been One of
the Hottest In History of the
state-Election Monday.
(Herald Specially

lf1eTalQ specially
Birmingham, Ala, Nov. 27-Tht
fight between those who favor the
amendment of the state constitution
in the interest of prohibition and
those in opposition closed today in q
whirlwind finish and Monday the peo
pie will vote for the rejection or adop
ton of the amendment. The cam
paign has been one of the hottest Ala
bama ever experienced and has at,
tracted the attention of the entire
country for the reason that the result
is expected to prove more far reach
ing in its effect upon the national
temperance movement than any cleo
ton held in recent years.
The prediction is being freely made
that if the constitutional amendment
is defeated at Mondays election the
doors of Alabama will be opened to
the saloons within three years. The
defeat of the amendment would be ac-
cepted by the nti-prohibitionists as a
reputation of the temperance laws
under which Alabama has become
one of the "dryest' states of the
union, and little doubt is felt that the
downfall of the measure would be fol-
lowed by an energetic campaign for
control of the next legislature, to be
elected in 1911. The fight will be car
ried before this body, and the argu
ment will be used that the people are
tired of drastic prohibition laws and
that this feeling of dissatisfaction was
manifested in the election wherein
the prohibition amendment went down
in defeat
If the amendment is adopted it will
seal the fate of the saloon in Alabama
for years to come-probably for all
time. 1t is, therefore, fight to the
death so far as the saloon interests |
are concerned. Without the amend |
ment in the constitution they could |
sit by quietly and wait for a favor
able opportunity to launch a fight for
the adjustment of the rigid prohi-
bition laws. With the amendment in
the constitution the task would be
practically hopeless. Not only would
they have to get majority of two
thirds in the legislature to have a
vote upon the removal of the amend
ment, but they would have to go be-
fore the people and obtain its repudi-
alton in a popular election.
The result of the contest cannot be
predicted with any degree of certain
ty. To-day the anti-prohibitionists
ilgaa olaiming that they see
Dry in sight The fact that a
number of leading citizens throughout
the state who were formerly number
ed with the prohibitionists have taken
an active part in the campaign to de-
feat the constitutional amendment
leads those who have borne the brunt
Of the fight against so-called radical
ism to believe that the turn of the
tide has come. They see, or profess
to see, in the strong opposition to con-
stitutional prohibition a breaking
away from the movement which has
swept Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama
and other states into the prohibition
column and which has made many
parts of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and
other western and southern states
close the door against the saloon.
While admitting that there have
1een many assertions from the ranks,
The prohibitionists express confidence
IN their ability to carry the amend
nent and assert that they have made
more than enough converts from the
forces to offset the votes
Of those who have gone to the other
side. They hold that the fight is one
Of saloon or no saloon" and tacitly ,
! :