The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-30
ARE rHp NrwsPArEas BRIsEDl

ARE THE NEWSPAPERS BRIBEDs
One Of the striking phases of the
prohibition campaign in this State is
the attitude Of some of its leaders. and
of many of their thoughtless follow
ers. towards the newspapers which
print the advertisements Of whiskey
dealers outside the State.
A short time ago one of the Meth
odist district conferences passed
resolution condemning the course of
such newspapers. Last week the state
Baptist Convention at Andalusia among
other resolutions on prohibition pass
! ed this.
frown upon 1ns fos tSs
couragement OF the violation of law
| and that carry in their columns adj
| yertisements of the goods when sold
which is prohibited by law In our
State.
| Now comes the Anti-saloon Leagues
organ. The Birmingham Citizen, on
| the same line, saying:
| 1t has seemed strange to some per-
sons, that certain newspapers are the
active supporters Of the old saloon
crowd. and are doing everything in
s hsr p0wsr to soo9 seets
There Is a reason. Forming
part OF the make up Of their col
umns each day. with double or qua
I o..~xA 40. tta.A
pers CARRY an immense amount Of Il
quor advertising. No one not prtvil-
eyed to examine the books Of their
counting rooms could tell Just how
time. but 1t grows day. by day into
large proportions. Probably TO say
that 1t would aggregate from s25.
to $4,000 a year would be uitra.con-
nous revenue with the additional fact
that the liquor traffic does not adver-
tise In papers unfriend1y to Its busi-
ness and the matter becomes more s
clear. There is a reason. Did any one
ever see a strong prohibition paper
with large space occupied by liquor
advertisements? Isn't 1t a truth that
holds out to editors in the attempt TO
induce them to hide their views ana
dull their convictions on this ques-
ton. Again we say. There 10 rea.
son. '-e&As
These appeals to the preJudices OF
church members and the prohibition
lists have a two-fold purpose. The
first aim is to undermine the influence
of the leading dailies like The Adver-
tiser which are opposing the extrem-
list leaders and their visionary propo-
sitions. The second purpose is the
hope of instituting a sort Of boycott
of those papers. so that loss Of sub
scribers may bulldoze the papers into
submission to the domination of those
leaders. 1t is another demonstration
of their narrowness and bitterness.
1t is amazing what lack of COM
mon sense and judgment is shown by
those responsible for that sort of oues-
tionable methods-methods borrowed
from low-browed. big-muscled ward
hee1ers in the slum politics
these gentlemen decry so much.
If these embryonic boycotters
would stop a little while and
give their brains a chance, they would
see what little foundation there is for
their slanderous insinuations.
Let US take up. first, the bottom
question of the right of newspapers
to print liquor advertising. No one
would contend that the newspapers are
violating any State or national stat
ute. The out-of-state manufacturer
or dealer has a right to ship his IL
quors into Alabama, and some of the
ablest constitutional lawyers say that
he canot be prevented by any congress
statute prevent a citizen from buying
liquors outside the State The ques-
ton Of q newspapers rights in the
matter is. therefore. restricted to the
field of morals and expediency. There
1t becomes a question of the newspa-
per's own conscience and Judgment.
This may not he permitted by such
spiritual czars as Mr.. Brooks Law
renee. but nevertheless most Christians
admit that such a freedom is true
biblical doctrine.
Now The Advertiser does not hesi-
tate to take the position that 1t is
serving the cause of temperance far
better by printing liquor advertise
ments than 1t would by refusing them
Not even DIR. Crumpton disputes the
right of the individual 70 use all the
liquor he wants. and everybody knows
that there are thousands of people
who are determined to have liquor. It
is far better for the cause of prohi-
bition that such persons should pro-
cure liquors legally outside the State
than to aid and abet blind-tiEers in
its bounds in getting them illegally.
The Advertiser. therefore. has no
qualms about this matter. 1t is vi
olating no law of man or of God by
printing liquor advertising. and 1t be-
lieves that 1t is serving the cause of
prohibition itself better than many of
those who are so narrowly denouncing
everybody who differs with them as an
ally of the saloon.
a1naarc In