The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-25
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.

From the Louisville Courier-Joufn
TdE anti-liquor bill that bears the
l0 name of Mr.. Fuller of Alabama
and aims at the aridity of that
state has passed the senate and
will soon become a law. 1t is described as
the most drastic prohibition measure
upon the statute books of any state, and
the most drastic one ever passed by a
state legislature" In point of vigor, and
scope the 'Fullerlicker" bill lacks moth
ing
The dispatches from Montgomery de-
scribe the new law as follows:
1.-THE measure forbids the possession or
liquor, except in private residences, MAX
ing the accused party prove his own inno-
cence before any evidence against him Is
introduced, makes the use of the word
saloon a crime, bars the advertisement OF
LIQUORS from billboards and signs and
holds that even the possession of fed
eral liquor license is an absolute proof of
guilt in selling intoxicants.
1.-The bill has a dozen other nearly as
strong clauses and the only amendment
made was the one striking out the clause
newspaper or magazines which contain
liquor advertisements"
Is this law-making or lunacy? 1t
should interest psychologists and So
biologists, and mere laymen who have
nothing to do with "ologists" or ''ologies,
to consider the case of state with its
official mind unhinged. For the Fuller
ucker'' bill there were recorded % votes.
a cabalistio number which must relate
to the passage of sanity in Alabama
rather than to the passing of the law.
Against the bill were recorded the votes
of half a dozen Legislators. Whether these
gentlemen were anti-prohibitionists from
conviction, or. pro-saloon men by affilia-
ton, the Courier-Journal confesses 1t Is
not advised. That they voted against a
legislative absurdity can hardly be ques-
toned.
In the so-called strength" of the pro-
visions of the bill lies its weakness
Making the accused party prove MS IN
nocence" Is a new method or arriving
at results, and one somewhat at Varl-
ance with the intention of the 1eoeral
constitution, and with the letter Oh that
valuable instrument, which says that no
one shall be deprived of life, property or
liberty without due process of law. That
the accused shall be presumed innocent
until proven guilty is the cornerstone of
the structure of criminal law, and the
state of Alabama can hardly overthrow
it by revolutionary doctrine evolved
by fanatical "reformers," whose extrem-
ism places them in the category of out
laws.
The dispatches do not explain with
def1niteness what use of the word "sa-
LOOM constitutes a crime A bill which
proposes to convict a man of an in
fraction of the law without proving his
guilt might, not inconsistency, make 1t
a misdemeanor, or a felony, for a citi-
zen of Alabama to say that there are sa-
looms in Kentucky, or that there were
| saloons in Alabama before the passage
| of the "Fullerlicker' bill. What's the
right of free speech compared to the
| right of prohibs to, dictate to all men
rigid rules of personal conduct for the
| improvement of their morals?
| That the possession of federal liquor
| license is proof of the guilt Of the hold
err of the license is, perhaps, not the
crowning absurdity of the Alabama pro-
hibtion law Time and thought and a
nice sense of the humorous values, would
be required to pick out the browning alb
surdity of that acknowledging meas
| ure.
| What are the other dozen "nearly as
strong" clauses? Let the publication of
/ each and all of them be hurried that
the gayety of the nations may be con-
| tributed to, and dull world hlled for a
| day with gurgling laughter.
The Montgomery correspondent of the
| Associated Press has this to say
After a heated colloQuy today with