The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-01
Editor The Advertiser:

Editor The Advertiser:
 In writing this, it Is not my purpose
 to question the motives of the good
 people who believe prohibition cures
 intemperance. even under i,, the S c9ncis rs .unselfishly advocating prohibition for
 the purpose of benefting mankind.
 do wish, however. to give some views
 ly mlsrepresented, to induce legislators to vote for constitutional prohibition.
 There is an earnest desire to devise better remedies for insemperance than .
 many years in the past. The men and
 women of today are no more earnest
 and no better in their lises and moral.
 ity than their forefathers. To the un-
 SO, but if we look below the surface, 1t
 will be found to be unquestionebly true. Opelika under prohibition which re-
 suited in Governor O'Neaps sending
 troops there to save fife and property.
 did no good. Other places in the State
 had the same experience. Atlanta had an agitation years ago. and by com
 mon consent returned tH the ola ways, i,s
 was an evil. In all the, agitation In
 this State in the past. the wisest and
 best men clung to, the Idea that local
 opSoW NOW, WT we have s Sta stste-wids prohibition,
 trampling down local option, In the
 face of solemn pledges to allow It. This was accomplished, not because the movement was backed by keener sense of morals and citizenship than In | the past. but because there was orga- nizea agitation. pressed in every way
 world world. ri The "g fne emotions of mother. were sappeRled 10 to subscribe small sums Ito save the boya%.s The charit- able, the preacher, ana the quiet citi- zen alike, were besought to make con-
 tributions. at stated times. which went to a bureau which disbursed the funds,
 and made places for Its paid agitators;
 These sgsea .Sa asspts eatEsd GSsl snd Ss
 nounced everybody wno did not agree
 with them, they threatened office seek
 CTS. and freauently barsainedl .l., with they would let the agitators control l their conduct in office. They even went so far as to pet lovely woman. con trary to all the best Southern tradie
 tions as to woman's true mission and place, to stand around the polls, but l ton-hole men and invade Legislative
 halls Near-beer companies ana pro pro
 scribed funds for temperance, to get a
 market for their products by prevent | ing men from getting whiskey. Thou
 were were circulated M in the honies h spite | of the pledge of honor to abide by, the | platform Statewide prohibition was l thus forced upon the btate, III d AHOtc- ment of hysteria, and now when the | experiment has been on trial for some months and conditions an the cities go | abundantly to show that its operation 1 on them is productive Of evil. these same leaders demand that prohibition | be put in the constitution.
 | What practical good can be accom- plished thereby? A Iegislative enact | fnent is as good as a constitutional pro- | hibition in enforcing temperance. 4 | constitutional amendment is not need l ed to tighten the laws or to give better | means for enforcing them. The de- mand for constitutional prohibition
 means that these leaders distrust the | fitness of the people to wisely pass on | prohibition after experience with It.. Il l means that the extreme leaders of this | movement and their political allies fee | that the present exc cement. worked uI l in the way stated, is on the ebb, ant | that it does not appeal to the consider
 ate, sober judgment of the people, al | lea st of those who live in the cities | The sole purpose, aside from co-opera- | ton with political ambitions, in pro
 nosing the amendment TOT prohibition
 in the constitution is to prevent the l people from curing an error If they | shall find an error has been committed | It takes no concern. whatever of tho | industrial and moral welfare Of thG
 State. It evinces 3 purpose to preclpi
 tate bitter, excited campaign upoT | the people, ending only with the eiec' | tion of State officers. 1t may be. If tht
 Legislature fixes that time for votin