The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-11-27
HOT CAMPAIGN ON LIQUOR
ISSUE IN STATE OF ALABAMA
Fight Between "Drys" and "Wets"
Closed Today in Whirlwind Fashion
and on Monday the Voters Will De-
eide lssue-Prohibition Amendment
to Constitution Proposed.

Birmingham, Ala. Nov. 27.-The
fight between those who favor the
of the State Constitution
in the interest of prohibition and
those in opposition closed today in a
whirlwind finish and Monday the
people will vote for the rejection or
adoption of the amendment The
campaign has been one of the hottest
Alabama every experienced and has
attracted the attention of the entire
country for the reason that the result
is expected to prove more farreaching
in its effect upon the national temper
ance movement than any election 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
accepted by the i-prohibitionists as
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 down.
fall of the measure would be follow
troll of the next legislature, to be
elected in 1911. The fight will be
carried before this body, and the ar
gument will be used that the people
are tired of drastic prohibition laws
and that this feeling of dissatisfaction
was manifested in the election where
in the prohibition amendment went
down i'm defeat.
If the amendment is adopted it will
seal te fate of the saloon in Alabama
for years to come-probably for al
time. 1t is, therefore, a fight to tn,
death so far as the saloon interest!
are concerned. Without the amend
ment in the constitution they could si
by and quietly wait for a favorable
opportunity to launch a fight for thu
abolshment of the rigid prohibition
laws. With the amendment in the con
stitution the task would be practical
ly hopeless. Not only would they hav,
to get a majority of two thirds in tn
legislature to have a vote upon tn
removal of the amendment, but the,
would have to go before the peopl
and obtain it's Reputation in a popula
election.
The result of the contest cannot b
predicted with any degree Of certain
ty. Today the -prohibitionists ar
loudly proclaiming that they see vic
tory in sight The fact that a numbe
of leading citizens throughout tn
State who were formerly numbers
with the prohibitionists have taken al
active part i'm the campaign to defea
those who have borne the brunt of tn
fight against so-called radicalism I
believe that the turn of the tide ma
come. They see, or profess To see, !
the strong opposition to constitution
al prohibition a breaking away fror
the movement which has swept Geor
gia, Tennessee. Alabama and othe
states into the prohibition column an
which has made many parts of In
diana, Ohio, Kentucky and othe
western and southern states close IN
door against the saloon.
While admitting that there hay
been many desertions from the rank
the prohibitionists express confdenC
in their ability to carry the amend
ment and assert that they have mac
more than enough converts from th
opposition forces to offset the vote
of those who have gone to the oth'
side. They hold that the fight Is on
.pf saloon or no saloon" and tacit
admit that prohibition in Alabam
stands or falls with the amendment
In the effort to abolish the hqu'
traffic Alabama has gone to legislatiN
extremes seldom or never before WI
messed in the war on the saloon, ar
il is upon this fact that the anti-pr'
hibitionists base their hope of a r.
action. If this reaction develops,
effect will undoubtedly be felt
other states where the temperan
movement has been making progres
and its influence, 1t is believed, W
be to check the movement If. on G
other hand. Alabama indorses its pr
hibition laws by writing prohibition
the constitution, then 1t will give ne
courage to the temperance fore
throughout the country and 9th
States will no doubt bring forwa
laws as farreaching as those now
the statue books of Alabama. The ele
ton. in other words. is going TO pro
a big boost to one of the sides in {
temperance controversy, and the he
was made with a thorough understan
ing on both sides as to its beari
upon the future of the temperan
movement i'm the country at large.