The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-11-18
y American Vote Will
Do i. n
GERMAN CITIZENS ARE SOLID
Burke and Parker Are Working
Hard.
Defeaders Claim Tint Their Victory In
Thi. Prohibition County VIII BE
Decisive - Amenders Are
Not Idle.
GERMAN CITIZENS ARE SOLID
nv WILL r. sHEEHAN.

tA pullman, NOV. s.-NSpSciait--1 uete
are IA the town of cullman and on the
farms In the country close by. 100
German votes or these votes SOS or
500 will be cast against the amend
n1ent; one or two OF the Germans may
be sick on election day.
But 1t is to be remembered that
there are perhaps four times as many
native voters. as Germans in Cullman
county. considered as whole. Be-
cause the German settlement at Gull
man Is unique. and therefore the cen-
ter OF special Interest the error has
gotten abroad that the Germans con-
troll and predominant in the voting.
While the Germans have the most COM
pact and conferred voting strength In
the county. the native voters still num-
Der probably. 2,so0 to the 700 Ger
mans.
Prohibition was a bitter experience
to the German settlers in and AROUND
Cuilman. II was SO unexpected. so at
variance with their traditions. their
customs and their teachings. In fore
Ing II on them the Germans consider
ed that Alabama had violated a pledge
and contract with them and confis-
Gated their vineyards and their bust
ness
MANY of the older Germans could
not talk TO me about 1t without tears
running down theii cheeks" said a
State of1eial who frequently visits
Cullman. They would start to- tell
me how they had been Induced to come
TO Alabama, what promises had been
made them. how they had invested all
they had here, In a little farm and In
little business and how. so far as they
could see. that farm and that business
were destroyed But before they fin
isiied talking they would be wiping
away the tears with their hands
they would stop talking and walk
away"
Troubles of Farmers.
It was not so much that the Ger-
mans had been deprived OF his privi-
zege of taking a glass of beer--ai-
though such habit had been tradi-
fional with his people for unnumbered
years. but he saw in prohibition the
destruction of the ancient customs or
his race and the establishment of a
law which he considered touched the
limits of tyranny The Germans
brought to Culiman many of the Gus
toms and habits, which are perpetual
ed in the romance ard the songs of the
Fatherland. They had their old Rhine
dances. their Christmas festivals. their
nicnies In the parks. with the singing
zeastss accompaniment and the fathers
and mothers at the tables comfortably
watching the happiness of the young
people.
There is no place IN Alabama for the
hop pickers, or the old German songs
II they carried hors to the brewery
they might be arrested as accessories
before the fact If '.saengerfests" are
given IN Alabama. with beer on the
side. the Black Maria may be rush ed
ND to pull the whole party. And II
Jean and Marie after a days work in
the wine press should walk hand in
hand down the wide road, with a
purple sunset about them, according
10 the old French Aong, constable
would arrest both of them and put
them to work, breaking rocks on the
road. If one of the primitive and an
cient machines described in the Bible
in which the workers press out the
grapes should be exhibited in Alabama
somebody might slap an Injunction or
st condseate the whole business. and
put shackles on every man who had
mashed a grape to make wine.
Not All Germans.
But as l was saying. before the
realization of how good we had become
in Alabama side tracked my train 81
thoughts, the Germans are not the
whole voting strength of Cullman coun'
~ by a great deal Cullman. like Mar
shall and DeKalk counties, has In the
mast ten years undergone a distinct
development in securing hundreds OF
Georgia and some few South Carolina
farmers. 1t IL perhaps possible thai
there are more native Georgians thar
Germans in Cullman county. and they
20 man live on the farms.