The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-12
ISSUE IN ALABAMA.


 From the Memphis Commercial Appeal
 The coming fight in Alabama is de- scribed by the Birmingham Age-Herald as a war between fanatioism and com mon sense: and our esteemed contem- porary evidently knows what 1t is talk ing about But what excites our especial wonder Is the fact that there should be a fight at all. Alabama has already adopted statutory prohibition. The legis- lature in an extra session has passed a set of laws to fortify prohibition that exceed the drastic exuberance of any thing that this country has ever seen. The man who is credited with drawing these statutes is the Hon. Sam Weakley, formerly assistant attorney general of Shelby county, Tennessee, and subse- quently by appointment chief justice of Alabama. These laws involve the right of trial by jury, freedom of interstate commerce, the sanctity of a mans house and the fundamental principle of our law that a man is innocent until he is proven guilty.
 These laws are hostile not only to the liberty and rights of the individual but
 
 the United States. It is almost unthink- able that they could have been drawn by man who once occupied the posi- ton of chief justice of the supreme court of Alabama. But although prohibition has been put in operation in Alabama, and these enabling acts have been passed to strengthen 1t, the legislature also passed a law to submit to the people the ques- ton of constitutional prohibition. And this, too, has the cordial support of the Honorable Sam.
 After saddling Alabama with the most extreme and lawless form of prohibition ever known, it Is now proposed to adopt prohibition all over again in the form of an amendment to the constitution. The purpose of this can only be to keep up the strife and enable the professionals who make living out of the prohibition agitation to continue living, and to give the politicians a chisel with which to pry open the fat offices. There is one singu- lar thing about the prohibitionsts, and that is that whenever they have won the battle over again. And so in Ala bama this fight that has done incalcula- ble harm to the state and has left the democratic party in the utmost disor- der, is to be perpetuated.
 It Is, however, fortunate that the pro- hibitionists take this view of the situa- tion, and that the prohibition issue is presented clean cut to the people. It is also fortunate that the man who drafted the fanatical laws has announced him. self as candidate for governor. It Is an open question whether the people of Alabama indorse or do not indorse laws that strike at their most precious rights. It remains to be seen whether they prefer in the gubernatorial chair a man who has no respect for their liberties. By voting in favor of constitutional prohibition, they fortify the candidacy of Judge Wealxley. By voting against it they put a quietus upon the aspirations of this gentleman to hold office.
 The Montgomery Advertiser which has been making brave fight against the carnival of fanaticism, says: "The true surprise of the present situation Is the confidence of the opponents of the con- stitutional amendment In Montgomery they are almost jubilant Each and every one of the active opponents of the amend ment declare that the reports that they get from the rural districts of Alabama are most hopeful. They declare that if the vote was taken today the amendment would be badly beaten"
 The Honorable Sam, however, is said to be strong in the cane bottoms and on the red hills, and predictions are freely made that he will be the next governor ot the state. At the end of the fight will
 The cotton umbrella
 Of your Aunt Samuella,
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