The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-31
ARE NEWSPAPERS BREED?

The Advertiser, therefore, has no qualms about this matter. It is violating no law of man or of God by printing liquor advertising, and it believes that it is serv- ing the cause of prohibition itself bet ter than many of those who are so nar- rowly denouncing everybody who differs with them as an ally of the saloon.
 Another absurdity appears in this at- tack on the newspapers. If the prohbi- ton leaders would get cool enough to thing for few moments they would real . ize that there was very little liquor advertising in Alabama before the pro- hibiton law was passed When liquors could be legally had in most of the cities and towns, the liquor men did not have to advertise, and they did very little of it. When the prohibition law was passed and law-abiding people who wanted liquor had to send out of the state for 1t, then the liquor manufacturers and wholesale deal CTS out of Alabama found 1t profitable to advertise in the Alabama papers. There- fore it is perfectly clear that the prohib- tion law has been a direct advantage to the newspa pers. It is equally clear that if the newspapers were controlled by self interest, they would rally to the prohibi- tionists in every sort of way. The more effective prohibition is, the more perma- nent 1t is, the better 1t would be from a revenue standpoint for the papers. But of course MT. Lawrence and those who blindly follow him don't stop to reason with all uncharty they jump at conclu- sions, no matter how illogical they are.
 Now as to The Citizen. It Is entirely wild in it's estimate of the advertising the Advertiser. or any other paper re- ceives An exact tabulation of every dol lar of charges for liquor advertising in this paper for the first six months of 1909 shows the exact sum to be $342522 We doubt very much whether any other paper has received a larger sum, while only two others may have received as much Ir Mr. Brooks Lawrence don't believe these figures to be truthful we invite him to come to this office and to examine our records himself.
 Now if there is anybody in Alabama foolish as to believe that the Adver- tiser could be bribed by the liquor men, or by any one else for that matter on any question, we pity him. For the informa- tiqp of any such thinpated malignant person, we beg leave to say that twice within the control of the Advertisers present ownership it has resisted offers up to $5O,ooo to change its policy on impor- tant issues. The Advertiser has al- ways valued character and principle above money, and its course in Alabama affairs bears out the assertion. Furthermore. for the sake of any woud-be bulldozers or boycotters, we beg to remind them of the Advertisers indifference to similar methods in 1896, when the paper stuck to its convictions in spite of the greatest danger to it's very existence.
 Perhaps MT. Lawrence has known in the more commercial west papers that have been bribed, on the one hand, or that have been bulldozed and bowbeaten by threats of boycotts on the other. but when he insinuates that either thing is possible so far as this paper is con- cerned, he has missed his mark. and we believe that most of the well-informed people in Alabama will tell him so. There is no such reason for this papers att t1tude on prohibition as he would have the public believe.
 The Advertiser has opposed the policy of prohibition solely on principles of jus tice, common sense and practicability. It is today opposing the establishment of the policy in the constitution for the same reason, and also because of its clear per- ception of the politics in the present ag- ttation. It will continue to adhere to it's principles in spite of clerical wire-pullers like MT. Lawrence. in spite of any slam derous misrepresentation of it's reasons, in spite of any bulldozing or boycotts by MT. Lawrence's misguided followers. Like the Master Himself, we will try to pray. "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."
 
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