The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-02
Selma Has Nailed Lid
 On AH mtoxicants

his ingenuity and energy that the now noted conviction was had in the City Court here . few weeks ago. He has moved under the "maltose' act. It was passed by the last Legislature be- fore the enactment of Statewide pro- hibitfon.
 The trial of this defendant, a licensed citizen of this city, attracted general attention. It brought on the attack on the constitutionaiity of the act which prohibits the sale of any bever- age which contains "maltose.' gen cose.' (evjdently intended in the bill to mean 6lucose). and kindred things, as substantial ingredients. The court held the law sound and the jury found the man guilty of the facts. Then the punishment followed in such emphatic terms that soft drink stands and all places that look like them. have closed up until the Supreme Court passes on the case. That Is expected in April after the present recess.
 May Return License Fees.
 Mayor V. B. Atkins states that in will be refunded if they have to shut up shop. The city is not disposed to extort money for privilege to do something, that the law forbids. If hopjack. dno. ino. eeny. meeny. miny, mo, or any other near-beer Is outside the law 1t cannot be sold and license granted tacitly to sell such bottled goods Is void.
 Solicitor Mangum confidently ex- poets the Supreme Court to sustain his contention in the lower court. He does not think the maltese act invalid or bad in any way. He relies mostly on the able opinion of former Chief | Justice Mcclellan. That opinion, he says. virtually held that the State had the right to prohibit the sale of goods like maltese ingredients on the theory that it was supplementary to a pro- hibition law. It was authorized by the same power that proh ibits the gty- ing away of booze. which act might be used as a blind-for actual barter | ing of whiskey or to induce trade ! ttherein-the very thing that was l sought to be prevented by,State-wide acts.
 Such early and positive stands by | the officers and courts in this county for the enforcement of the law have had great deterring effect. Good | quantities of booze are unquestionably consumed in Selma and throughout the county. But 1t Is mostly in the homes | of those able to order 1t by express or freight or in the lockers of clubs. It Is probable that, as is urged by the anti more >whiskey Is
  residences than before. Very likely the presence of intoxicants in the office | or at home In large lots may conduce 1 to heavier drinking among those who were addicted.
 Negroes Have Prohted. Yet the fact must remain that in Dallas County there Is preponderance | of negro population. Various esti-
 mates place this majority at from six
 to eight to one. And 1t is a we'll known fact that the greater consump- | ton of whiskey under the saloon re-
 gime was by the negro in this county.
 Therefore, the chief inquiry as to pro-
 hibition and its working in the Black Belt should aim at the condition of his | Senegambian contingent.
 1 Careful investigation proves that st | far the negro has profted wonderfully by prohibition. This statement Il
 made not alone on the authority o l the rich land owners who work ne | groes on their farms. but on the wore I of the laborers themselves.
 Saturday afternoon the sight O | drunken negroes on the streets O
 darktown was frequent during high IL
 cense. The sight of such jags on th' l main thoroughfares was not rare. Res l ldents of Selma declare that this hal
 been reduced to a minimum since pro l hibition went into effect two months
 age. Some few negroes are getting whfskey. There may be leak or two
 in the corporate limits of Selma bn | the flow Is certainly not much at thl'
 stage. But as rule. the dusky farm
 hand has been deprived of what he | considered his friend" but what his | landlord always considered his worst l "enemy."i This seven-eighths of Dal' l las County's population craves booze with as much intensity as does the race anywhere. The most of them are rec. onciled. They think 1t inevitable and are on the wait" for developments No few of them hunt for 1t and about
 as many usually get 1t. They order il l alone and in their own name or solicit their neighbors to pitch in" and order l a jug together
 Testimony of Negroes. A half dozen typical negro farm hands were asked about prohibition | and whiskey. The first was sullen That could be seen at the start. We gittin' mo whiskey'n we ever | did" said he De country Is full uy 1t. I gifts 1t whenever I wants it. We orders 1t. Pro'bishun's the wuss thing