The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-18
THE NEXT STATE CAMPAIGN.

THE NEXT STATE CAMPAIGN.
 The Advertiser publishes in this is- sue an interview with MT. walker Percy. of Birmingham, and which was published in The News of that city on last Thursday. All good citizens win agree with Mir. Percy. as to desirabii- ity of letting bygones alone, but it will be very difficult to get the vot- CTS of Alabama into that frame of mind. The last campaign was . vsrys strenuous one, and the effort to e change the State Constitution as tc give to future Legislatures extraor- dinary powers. and in a direction which preceding ones had never dared to travel. aroused intense feeling ard the immense majority against it. shows how wide awake the voters were to the enormity of the proposf- ton. Many things were said in that campaign severely reflecting upon the
 
 character and motives of those who opposed the amendment. and if the utterances of its'advocates are true majority of our people are anything else than what they should be. Of course. in the face of such an over whelming expression against the prop osition we are satisfied that many of those on the other side said things which they did not mean to be taken literally. and are now disposed at least to bide time and not renew an angry contest
 2 As Mir, Percy points out. anything like a concerted movement at this time by any number of either those who favored or opposed the amend ment would be regarded as more or less of a challenge to combat. We would prefer for the next campaign to be devoted to the advancement of the States best interest by the selec- ton of men of known conservative
 
 views for the offices to be filled. We have had enough of radical legisla- ton. and by this we mean hostility to corporations and vested capital; wild excesses In expenditure of money in- volving increased taxation: a craze for creation of offices adding still more thousands of dollars to the peo- ple's burden; and surrender to the most extreme fanaticism in the way of so-calied temperance legislation. Alabama has had surfeit of this sort of misdireeted legislation and it is time to call halt. and to call 1t as vigorously as was the voice Of oppo- sition to the amendment on the 2sth of November. This States has been injured to an untold and incalculable degree already. and our wisest and safest people should consider how to produce the desired changes so that those who wish to invest here and help build up all our interests will once again be willing to do so.
 We would call Mir. Percy's atten- tion to the declarations of leader among those responsible for forcing the amendment issue upon the people Rev. w. B. crumpton. pres dent of the Anti-saloon League. which plays a strong hand in the political game. has recently addressed letter to the pub lie which is also published on thIs page of The Advertiser. This letter of pr. Crumpton's indicates anything else than the tone of conservatism which pervades that of Mir. Percy. It is very evident that he wants another fight pitched on prohibition grounds.
 In the meantime we sincerely hope that the voters of Alabama will make up their minds that they have had enough of such administration as has prevailed for the past three years. and will be careful in selection of State officials and members of the Legisla- ture.
 It begins to look as If the greatly desired rest from political contention will not be realized but that a warm campaign will soon be in full pro- gress. Let everybody keep as cool as possible. Is the best advice we can ertva at tbis inpnturA