The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-29
Illegal Sales of Whiskey
 In Lee. BUT HE CONDITIONS
 SEEM TO HAVE IMPROVED Different Views Held By Many Citizens.
Problem of Increasing the Revenues Must Be Solved by the City Government-Negroe Or-
 aered Lisuer Seat Tn.
BY CHARLES L. HAROLD.

Opelika. March 2S-(Special.)-On the more spirit than they are enjoyed. there Is asgood deal of drinking here.
 It seems to be admitted on all sides that there are even illegal sales Of liquor in the heart of the town. Yet no man could be found looking one sQuarely in the eye and saying that as much drink is being consumed under prohibition as when the saloons were here.
 It is very true that the writer was shown to the rear of a large store in Opelika, where he saw many empty bottles. They had been drained of intoxicating contents. The proprietor said he knew the back of his store was being used for this purpose, was being used as a retreat for those fellows who had been used to frequenting saloons. Such conditions did not obtain in the so-called wet times. It was enough to ,disguest the proprietor with prohi- bition. He is an anti-prohibitionist.
 Yet not every store is in this de- plorable condition. Nor does 1t mean that every by-way or hidden corner is full of empty bottles. It would seem to indicate, however, that the stun is being illegally sold in some quan- titles at least, and that, looking at the labels. some of 1t is Of brand that would put to shame the Mexican meschal or tempt the drinker to fight the front of a street car.
 Over in Columbus, Ga., they ask you to have a drink of near-beer. Mostly you refuse. but in Columbus they in- sist on your having near-beer. And you are led to ask:
 What sis near-beer, pray?"
 Ut is beer over the river." they re- ply. By lover the river" is meant, of course. Girard.
 Regulates at Least.
 But prohibition, If it is disregarded in some places. at least regulates in Opelika and Lee County. It has got ten results that are visible on the streets and the country highways; that are to be seen in reduced drunkenne ss in all places; that are to be seen, they testify, in more disposition of tae ne- gro farm hand to stay at b1me and work.
 q would vote for prohibition" said one farmer picked up on the street. flor my mules. if for nothing else. :" And then he began to relate the cru elites of the negro under the craze or drink. Sent to town in charge of the mules, the negroes left the plantation sober. It was of no use to swear them not to get drunk. It was expected. And SO they would return Saturday nights. the animals wildly panting and fecked with foam by the senseless speed of their driving. Very likely, too, those mules 1syed with the whip or lines. and aimiessly driven, had Frightened q half dozen buggies into the woods by the side of the road. That is what makes prohibition so welcome in the rural sections. It helped sharply to- wards getting a five-to-one vote In Lee County for the regulation" of thS liquor traffic.
 Some negroes get their whiskey even in this late day Hand running 'the proprietor of that empty bottle em- porium caused three negroes to testify fo their temperance or incompetence. Each was asked if he drank any booze since prohibition. Each replied that he did Asked where he got 1t. he said he received it by express. They all said they drank as much as when sa- looms reigned.
 It was significant, however, that each witness was home-owning negro. Their land was paid for and they had been wise enough to accumulate some thing more than their subsistence. With the surplus. they were enabled to buy whiskey. It enabled them 10 buy it in such large quantities as come by the mail order route. It is the com mon belief that the average negro, the fellow who gets spare wages and has not enough to purchase jug lots. has been benefited by conditions. He is now resting content to do without his booze. Of course. there are exceptions even to this rule.
 Something of Revenue.
 The revenue problem Is more per plexing to opelika than to most cities. It lost $6,000 in saloon licenses when prohibition went into effect January |. 1908 Added to this Is the loss in po- lice court fines which are now about s2,0O0 a year less than when the town was open. Since prohibition went into effect also there have been added ex- penses that were unavoidable. The ad yalorem tax limit has been reached The Council has shrunk from the ordi- nary license Idea. The majority of cit izens look on license of legitimate bus mess as doubling on the ad valorem tax. They do not like 1t as being un- American and opposed to the spirit of the constitution. They are joining in the clamor to get a new tax limit over