The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-11

the people cannot be treated so far as grown men to allow them to even make wine for their own purposes? Will any body stand for that?
 "They say We can get wine from other states. Why? Because the interstate commerce allows it. But this legisla- tion is part of the scheme to render it impossible for people to get wine any where.
 Prohibition Party.
 "The first appearance of the prohbi- ton party in the politics of Alabama was when it's meddlesome interference caused the election of Hugh Dent to Congress as the successor of Congressman Wiley. Brooks Lawrence. head of the Anti-Saloon league, sent inquiries to the three can didates for Congress in the Montgomery district, asking them, if elected, would they vote for law to prohibit the ship ment of liquors from one state to an other. Two of the candidates thought they heard something rumbling and straight-way committed themselves to this proposed law. Hugh Dent refused to promise his influence to the Anti-Saloon league and the people responded by elect ing him to Congress by large majority
 If we have absolute prohibition, what will be the result? It will be impossible for any of us to get liquors anywhere.
  Tie things up in Alabama so no one can make or sell wine or other intoxicating liduors and then close all avenues lead- ing to Alabama. This prohibition law and the prohibition amendment are sim ply steps to make 1t so not only will the people be unable to get liquor within the state but no one will be allowed to order it through the mails. They are following the work here even now with pressure on Congress to prevent the shipment of liquor into Alabama
 "So far the Southern Express com pany is the only beneficiary of tho Ala bama prohibition law. The laws have given that company a monopoly in sup plying the people of the state with liquors No other person or firm in the state Is empowered to haul 1t for you. If your mother is sick in the country you cannot send her bottle of wine by a neighbor and you are not allowed to hire drayman to deliver it for you. It is against the law for anybody to carry it as an accommodation to you and you must tote it yourself. By no other means than through the Southern Express can you obtain liquor for home use. So far. I have not heard that the Southern Ex- press company Is opposed to the prohi- bition law now In effect in this state.
 we have had prohibition in parts of Alabama for a good many years. There
 
 a majority of the people thought the sale of liquor ought to be stopped that was not allowed to prohibit its sale if they wanted to. The law has never been so that any community that wanted prohi- bhion could not get 1t. Before Brooks Lawrence and his cohorts moved into the state, nine-tenths of the people of Ala bama were living under prohibition laws. They had made great progress toward wiping out the saloon Most of us re- member when there was a doggery at nearly every country crossroads. When a majority of the people in those com munities wanted to get rid of the saloon the legislature always allowed 1t. Pro- hbition was growing through the opera tion of local self-government. This was effected through local option.
 But we have got new brand of pro- hibition now. Unwilling to leave the power of enforcement to the people of the state, tue legislature has enacted a new set of laws. fashioned in the pre- sumption that the people are no longer capable of governing themselves. They are no longer willing to trust juries to see that the liquor laws are enforced and have fixed 1t so that any person can enter the chancery court and infiict upon an enemy all the penalties and humilia- ton of criminal misconduct, without mak- ing any bond or fixing responsibility.
  proves to be fasco with no foundation to 1t who pays the cost? Why, the costs of the frivolous eases will be taxed up against the people of Madison county.
 Putting Up Barrier.
 Now. after enacting the most drastic and far-reaching prohibition laws that any state in the union has ever had the prohibitionists propose to put up bar rier so that no future legislature can go in and repeal it. The adoption of the amendment means carrying to a still further extent the radical legislation by which the new scheme of prohibition Is expected to be saddled upon the people of Alabama
 'The second section says: Nothing In the constitution of Alabama shall be construed to prevent the legislature un- der the police power from designating places where such liquors may not be stored or kept Judge Weakley says this section does not mean this. In the fu- ture provided this amendment Is adopt ed and some case comes up in court for decision and the second section Is brought up. what will the court consider what Judge Weakey says about its meaning will the words themselves be used? The prohibition people say it does not mean so and so but then why did they not use words that ex- press their meaning? They would have saved themselves a great deal of ex- paining had they not shown such III ad- yised haste In constructing the amend ment.
 'They explain that no legislature will make 1t unlawful to keep liquor in the home, the second section does not mean for this to be done Considering our ex- perience with the present legislature, will anyone undertake to forecast what might be done by a legislature in the future? They say that the amendment does not give the legislature the right to make homes unlawful places for the keeping of liquors and they also say that no legis- lature will avail itself of the power con ferred upon it by the second section.
 since the English barons wrested the Magma Charta from King John the English speaking people have considered their home as their castle and the in herited rights that remain to use with fin our homes are not to be lightly cast aside.
 ''The constitution is the defender of the Fundamental rights of the people and there is scarcely ever a legislature that lions. It Is the only safeguard the peo- pie have against having their rights swept away by sumptuary and fanatical legis- lation.
 That Second Section.
 Don't deliberately surrender the rights that you now have under this constitution unless you are ready to change your form of government and be governed by a czar If you have a friend on the other side, and I know you have, ask