The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-03

plaffor1n." he acknowledged. q told you. in my campaign. that I was for local option. That is true. I was elected. Under the local option. many counties of the state. most of them with the exception of Mobile and Montgomery, went dry. The public opinion was overwhelming.
 Many people asked me, when ! called the Legislature for the first extra session to include statewide prohibition in the call. I declined said that we ought to stand by the platform I gave out an interview to that effect
 The Legislature met fresh from the people. It was conceded that Mobile and Montgomery would not go dry There was whiskey influence and p1Saty of money there. But the Legis- lature. without the call. and by It's own initiative passed the statewide prohibition law, by more than a three-fourths majority.
 When asked if I would sign the bill. I did not hesitate. I am not big ger than xhree-fourths of the people of the State. Then the trouble be- gan. There were loopholes. I deter mined to call the Legislature togeth- CT to obtain means to enforce the law. This constitutional amendment Is not my measure. It Is your measure.
 T have got nothing against the li- quor men except as they violate the law. But I heard that a man was hired by the brewers to go through the State to fix the next State con- vention that local option plank be put in the party platform; to fix the next Legislature to repeal the laws. l saw my duty to stop 1t. I would have been . coward had I not included the amendment in my call.
 Not Political IaHuA
 sIt is not a political issue. 1t Is just for your safety. It will stop agitation. This is your referendum, and a refer endum by which your safety will be decided. The amendment will destroy the germ. and forever eliminate the possibility of the barroom and the blind tiger.
 "Why, they tell me one man in < Montgomery owned 1O5 barrooms, that he would sell liquor on credit to any person with which to start barroom. a tiger, or something else. This will be stopped.
 .sWe've passed the Carmichael and the Fuller bills. and now Mobiles as dry as a sand-bar," he said laughing. s@aae amendment will keep it dry. < And it is not a question of politics, or Comerism. but of temperance against iiduor. If 1t Is defeated, 1t will be considered a defeat for prohibition. and the barrooms will come back In two years"
 The Governor read a published in- terview of John B. Knox in which Mir. Knox decried the influence of the country over the cities. The cities, he had said, will go against the amend ment, but the vote of the country dis tricts will carry 1t in spite of the desires of the cities.
 sYes." declared the Governor. sThank God we have the country man and his vote to save the state"
 He threatened impeachment for those sherins and officers who did not enforce the law.
 sOne sheriff asked me where he oould find the blind tiger" the Gov ernor explained. He followed my di- recfions, but telephone message pre- ceded him, and spoiled his raid. The next time there will be no failure. There win be the Supreme Court.
 sYes. we've got the laws all right. ana they will be enforced, for I have inc military to enforce them" he Threatened.
 HIS two-hour speech ended with an ,unpassioned appeal to walk together. mi Alabamians. to wave the white amer of temperance over all. and on
 victory
 & The Governor was followed by At
 1ey general Garber for whom cries
 sent up. The Attorney General
 sd no less an ardent advocate of
 mendment than the Governor. He
 d for it on the grounds that 1t
 ,knowledged the best thing for
 leral public welfare. If 1t Is