The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-09
LAW AND
ORDER LEAGUE


the Indifferent methods used. which will
be responsible for the undoing Of other
wise normal conditions.
referring again to the whiskey bus
iness as II has bsen conducted here
before the prohibition law went into
effect January LIST. 1909, this same
wholesale concern already alluded to
It r. said, owned at least one-third
of the retail licenses under which the
saloons and dives Of the city operated.
and 1t IL also alleged that In many
instances whore men were running
small mercantile stores In the subprbs
were coerced into selling whiskey by
threats. that unless they sold whiskey
and bought from this concern. they
would set up competing stores and
force them out Of business.
TT 10 also learned from reliable
sources that q prominent member Of
this same firm. and one who practically
poses a. the Car Of the political arena
and the despot Of the commercial in-
terest OF the community. that he
claims to be q prohibitionist. saying
that he 10 pleased with the results
OF hts business. ~ he sells about as
much liquor without license as he did
with license. and gets the money for
IT, whereas under the license system.
he sold largely on time and had
Hrouble in collecting his accounts. He
has also stated that he had only one
thing to trouble him recently, and
that was the prohibition law, but he
now has 1t with its neck under his
heel and he expects to keep It there.
Open DeAanes b.. Boss
'In open defiance on the streets, In
broad daylight he admits that he II
selling liquor in open violation Of law.
general assembly Of this great COM
monwealth. which has also been pro-
nounced o good law by the Supreme
Court of the State. We are not sur
prised that men who are the States
witnesses are attacked on the streets
In broad Daylight. right in the door Of
the Courthouse. In front OF the ALL
and beaten almost to insensibility, and
the physical evidence belonging to the
State, carried away by force and no
EFFORT made on the part Of the officers
to reclaim same.
Following up the boycott idea. some
two or three years ago q member OF q
certain church in the city introduced
and had passed a resolution requesting
the City Council not to renew the II.
cense of certain negro whiskey dive
near said church. which was not only q
nuisance. but disturbed the worship and
interfered with the lady members as
they went to and from the church at
tending the mid-week prayer service.
When this resolution was presented TO
the Council, forthwith this same DO.
iitical GEAR or commercial despot, serv-
ed notice. or had II served on two DIFF
ferent banking institutions of the city
In which he held stock and carried ac-
counts. and in which three members of
said church also held stock. that IL that
resolution was pushed, that he and his
following would withdraw their patron
age.
His italian hand was supposed TO
have been used also on the Council. and
the resolution was defeated and the II.
cense was renewed to his negro dive
and the business continued over the
unanimous protest of the church.
Does this sound Hike o free Amert-
can country in which people can wor-
ship God undisturbed after the dictates
OF their own conscience, or are we 10
be controlled by q despot, who puts the
almighty dollar above his God or any
thing else that chances to cross tna
path of his majesty. Only recently
similar threats Of boycott have been
made against certain business institu.
tions on account Of certain gentlemen
taking o prominent hand In the move-
rnent for the snfercement Of law. What
are We coming soi Are the good peo-
pie OF this good old Capital City goin9
TO fold their hands. and close their
eyes and mouths. and Be absolutely
dominated by an influence that 10 un.
scrupulous in its methods and diabol.
teal IN It's. practices What has become
OF our Southern manhood Are we TO
continue as moral towards for fear
that we viii lose FEW paltry dollars.
Let US come out from under the
shackies Of commercial bondage ana BE-
men. Our fathers would blush in shame
II they could only know the real damn.
able conditions under which we are
really existing.
whisixey ana the ness.
''But conditions are no worse now
than they have been for a long time ~
the past. They have just simply been
brought under the limeiight which will
doubtless be done In the near future.
startling developments will be very un.
comfortable for heretofore erstwhile
bell-weathers.
''who controls the Police Commits.
sion There IL only one answer: whis.
key and the Big Boss
why was q member Of this same
concern referred TO, so anxious to be-
come member Of the Police Commits
sion? Who sells more whiskey In this
city without license than was former.
ly sold with license The answer Ia
patent.
''The Mayor says that ne is helpless.
being a minority member of this au-
gust body. and cannot have the law
enforced. The Mayor deserves the pro-
found sympathy OF all his constituents.
IT seems to be that would have men
do their duty or would let the public
know who Is responsible for II not be-
ing done.
"who runs the County Board g.
Revenue There is but one answer The
Boss
''Why was South Court Street built
by the county. Just short distance
out Of the city. the end OF which sud-
denly stops without seeming to have
any particular objective point. Ask
The Boss who owns the land on either
side of this beautiful driveway built
by the Taxpayers Of the county? When
all of these questions are properly an
swered and many others that will like.
" arise. then the citizens may sit up
and take notice.
st have yet to see or hear OF any
thing that commends whtskey. III 1t
ever had virtue 1t has been absolute
ly destroyed by those who have handl-
ed II. and they are responsible and
they alone for the business having come
into absolute disrepute all over this
land. They are not satisfied with con-
trolling things but II they are opposed
In their methods, they will undertake
to besmirch the character Of everyone
who opposes them.
where are we drifting? Don't tell
me of anarchal conditions In the west.
San Francisco may have had its slime
and municipal rottenness. 1t may have
had also its Eugene Smitz, and Abe
Ruef with all their blackened and de-