davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
Against Amendment.

AIIdIIa l1efalu.
 Whether constitutional prohibition is. or Is not. the proper solution of the liquor problem. Is seemingly as yet. an open question. Volumes have been of the subject. with no appreciable ap- proach toward the end of the discus sion. The evils of intemperance. and the best methods of preventing br dis the consideration of law makers, and representatives of the people. since the time when old father Noah dis graced himself, after the flood had ritory. and 1t Is not likely that the discussion Is yet at an end. The most important feature of the proposed prohibition amendment to the sconsti- tuition is reported as reading as fol lows:
 "The manufacture, sale and keeping for sale of alcoholic and malt liquors and other intoxicating beverages shall be forever prohibited in this state. but alcohol may be sold for medical scien- tific and mechanical purposes, and such regulations as the legislature may have prescribed or may hereafter pre- scribe"
 It does not appear that there is any penalty attached. but that 1t Is simply directory and for the purpose of pre- venting the legislature or governing body of any city or town from legal izing the sale of intoxicants by put tax, nor would 1t be possible In case the statute should be repealed in whole or in part to place on the outlawed traffic, the burdens 1t ought to bear, if permitted at all It would seem that the prohibition leaders either do not understand the uses and purposes of a constitution. or else they do not care. The constitution is in no sense code of laws; but 1t is primarily an tnstru- ment in writing determining the kind of government the people have adopt ed, the nature and powers of its prin- cipal officers and the limitations of the lawmaking body. It is in no sense a code of laws, and when the lawyer examines the constitution he usually does so simply to determine whether some certain law Is permitted by that document or whether 1t was properly enacted under the requirements as there laid down. Hence we say 1t is an open question whether 1t should be adopted or not as a part and parcel nf nnr cnnatlfnfion.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
WHO CAN EXPLAIN TIT

The Macon Telegraph concludes an editorial on the late Georgia Lsgisla- turs and its acts with this very plain language: Such defiance of the peo- ple's will we have never before seen In this State"
 We would be glad if some student of the occult and inexplicable in humani- ty would make an effort to explain the reign of intolerance. ignorance and injustice that has obtained and held possession of this country of late. Is there some strange force at work that we cannot detect. but which has driv- en intelligent human beings into the near neighborhood of lunacy?
 Georgia is not an exceptional vic discreditable legislation. In a num- ber of other States the legislative bodies seem to have lost all sense Of reason, tolerance. fairness and justice. and have apparently been dominated only by a desire to pass the limit Of sound sense and conservatism.
 It would be an insult to the good sense and intelligence of law makers to charge that they do not know bet ter. We are bound to admit that men in various States who have been chos- en to represent the people are men Of at least average capacity. Some of them. of course. were elected without regard to ability or fitness. but we can not believe that a majority of the men who compose the Legislatures bought their way into office. Neither can we admit that the people in a majority men they could find and sent them to their State Capitols 10 make laws.
 Admitting then that a majority of Senators and Representatives are in- telliKent and honest. how are we to account for much of the legislation and attempted Legislation that is in evi> to have lost their independence. their self assertion and their power to think and act for themselves to be so thor oughly influenced by men who have no right to interfere. and whose intol- sraucs Is eaualled only by their im- pudence: men who in some cases at least are paid to influence Legislation. that they have ceased to think for themselves and are apparently afraid to act without orders. When the or der is given they fall into line like soldiers at roll-cau. or like dumb driven cattle" they line up behind the boss and do what they are ordered.
 What has taken possession of our iaw-makinR bodies7 old Publius sy- rus tells us that Whom Fortune
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
CUSTOMS APPEALS.
Work to Be Accomplished By the New
 Iv Established Court.

work to He AecOmphshed By the NeW-
 Iy Established Court.
 To the Editor of The New York Times:
 The Court of Customs Appeals Is now an established fact, having become so by the new tariff act of Aug. 5. 1909. PayHe PnIGs Wi sarin go set a0" think justice @ ree 'qufres that some reply should be made to the attack on thfs tribunal from the pen of Mir: Alfred Ely in The Times
 The student of customs laws. in ad- dition to much technical knowledge .pe- culiar to revenue systems Is required ject of statutory construction. and with the laws of evidence in all of It's phases. with international laws involv,, t1g tTsasS laws wh wsn ana Branches of the legal profession. to say nothing of scientific, industrial; SI field of tariff nemenciature,. The as sault on the wisdom Of special trinun- als needs no answer. They are tustl- fled by the history of h,n ographies of the English and American
 litigation will be diminished in two ways by the establishment or this
 I. Speed will be secured in dispos- ing of protests. and the curse Of pro tFaeted delays operating 0fsen bssaen- ss ee-
 
 some and expensive evil has existed heretofore in the practice of suspend ing cases pending before the board to await the pleasure of customs attor- neys to try their cases on appeal in the courts. MT. Ely asserts, evidently on hearsay, that the Federal courts are always up with their calendars. Is he aware that cases are generlly placed cn the trial dockets only when both parties are ready to argue them, and the longer the delay in staying on ar gument the greater the accumulation of analogous protests before the board held up for the court decision? And this delay is increased by appeals talk en to the Circuit Courts of Appeal. and later to the Supreme Court. Under the old law over 5000 protests on sugar were held up for ten years to await the final disposition of two cases ap- pealed to the Supreme Court covering the same questions. Over. 56,OO0 pro. tests are now held up by the Board of General Appraisers under similar con- ditions. If in future test case arises on any litigated question of law or fact 1t can and will be decided promptly by able judges, who give their special at tention to its consideration, and the life of a customs case from the time a protest Is filed before the board to the perloc of its final termination will probably not extend over one year,
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
Their auser raea.

MODll0 H@okAStcA.
 Is that putting prohibition into the constitution will stop all agitation on repeat 1t, as if some one had suggested 1t to them. Such people study neither history nor human nature. History says man has always "scrapped" and knowledge of men shows that scrap he will. Agitation seems to be one of the first laws of nature There will be bitter agitation over the ratification of the amendment to the constitution the most bitter fight ever witnessed in Alabama and the hardest to, recover from; and then will follow at each campaign a fight for and against the retention of the amendment. If, per- chance, 1t be ratified in the coming election. Finally. of course, 1t will be thrown out. and the real control of the liquor traffic will begin: How soon will all this happen? We can only surmise. Elsewhere the progress of reform has moved slowly but we live faster In these days. We have taken up prohibition quickly. and without even waiting for popular election on the subject, and we have pushed 1t through and seek to place 1t in the constitution before giving 1t half trial to see what Is its effect in a new field of action. Possibly therefore. we will run the whole gauntlet quickly and get to safety and sanity In a short time compared with the time taken by the first who experimented and learn. ed their lesson along lines similar to those now so rapidly followed in Ala banna.-
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
THE DUTIES ON FOOD.
How the TariM Will Affect Wheat
 Flour and Corn.

How the TariR Will Affect Wheat
 Flour and Corn.
 New York Financial Chronicle.
 There has been SO little discussion of the subject of the imposts on agri- cultural products, and these inordi- nate duties have been maintained so long, that we doubt if many persons know how high the tax really is. Un- der existing law no foreign wheat can enter this country without paying a tax of 25 cents a bushel. Just think of taxing such a necessary food article Rs wheat 25 cents a bushel! As it takes about four and a half bushels of wheat to make a barrel of flour. this is equal to 6 tax of $1.12 per barrel, Accordingly, all consumers in the United States find that much added to the cost Is really greatly in excess of the amount of the wheat and flour duty; for by shutting out foreign sup plies speculators are enabled to carry on and to continue their cornering op- erations. If it were known tomorrow that the high grade wheat from Man. itoba and the northwest provinces could enter the United States free of duty we may be sure the speculative bubble would quickly burst and prices drop very much more than the amount of the tariff tax. Moreover. with the removal of all fears of possible in- adequacy Ot AFallaDAe suPpAcs pEICOs would continue to drop until they again reached the normal level--say about $1 a bushel. Then the Ameri- can consumer would once more come into his own. At the figures named the farmer would still be making good profit. At the present level of values he is making inordinate profits at the expense of the entire body of consum- CTS. On corn the present tax of 15 in h0fh bills, and MT. Aldrich had proposed an increase to 20 cents in his original draft of the measure. Barley now pays 80 cents per bushel; the Hhouse had reduced this to 24 cents. but the Senate again raised the figure to 30 cents. Potatoes are now subject to Q tax of 25 cents. which the House bill left unchanged, but the Senate bill. we believe, proposed an increase to 4S cents.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
MONDAY. AUGUST is. 1908.
~ TAMEaTcAN SPY sYsTEM.

A spy system has been considered too dangerous and too despicable for some European countries. The soil and the atmosphere of America of all places should not suit 1t. But reveia- tions since the close of the Roosevelt administration show, that the discred- ited resort of European tyrany was honored at heavy cost by an Ameri- can President who was willing to use 1t to frighten enemies and dominate opponets.
 Ex-Ssnator HemenwaS. who under commission from Congress is investi- gating the cost and work of the Secret Service system. has already discovered that this department has been put to a reprehensible use. Nor is this occasion for surprise. It was revealed only short time ago that trap was set years ago in a vain effort to catch Senator John T. Morgan in something that appeared reprehensible and ruin the character he had built up by a pure and useful life. An Alabamian. former constituent of Senator Morgan. had moved to California and entered the lumber business He became in volved in a controversy with the gov ernment officials and naturally commu- ,nicated his trouble to Senator Morgan.
 mt ad no little of their time and resources in a search which would secure some evidence that might be turned into club to coerce Senator Morgan into abandonig his fight against the Roose- welt administration and particularly its policy in reference to the Panama Ca- nal. Of course nothing was found. But this despicable use of government de- tectives was revealed in later years to stain the record of the men who au- thorized and directed 1t.
 They are now finding in Washing ton that government detectives were used to shadow and track Senators and Congressmen who were not in ac- cord with all that President Roosevelt wished to do. A full report of this will never be made; 1t probably cannot be made But enough is revealed to show that an American President used methods. which are obsolete In some of the monarchical countries of Flu rope
 After all there is something that smacks of blackmail in shadowinE man, even if guilty. and then agreeing to keep his secret with him. if he did certain things This Is one feature of the one man government for which Roosevelt set the precedent and which has been followed by his imitators In the smaller field of State government. man must be brought around-by promise of future preferment. by threats of future punishment or by threats to reveal happenings in his life which he should prefer should be kept under cover. It Is a part of ty- ranny-a tyranny all the more marked because 1t Is exercised under a form of free government.
 The time has passed for Roosevelt and his imitators
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
Opposes The Amendment. Walker County News

Opposes The Amendment. walker County News.
 Aside from the heavy expense tc fae fhe, t,ax,payers , of the state; and the ing strength of Alabama Is at this moment In state of excitement and frenzy, The News finds no objection hitting to the people for their decision an amendment to the constitution which seeks to prohibit the sale or use of intoxicating liquors permanently in
 In fact. under our system of gov ernment. and wise and just system It is. the people are, as they should be. entitled to be heard on any and all
 State wide statutory prohibition which now prevails in Alabama, and which has proven such failure. was never written by the voice of the responsible. Constitutfonai prohibition may be written by the people If they so choose.
 amendment for constitutional prohibi ton.
 Because. 1t can prove no more effec- tual as a moralizing Influence than statutory prohibition.
 Because even statutory prohibition has proven signal failure, In that 1t has robbed the state of moneys from a taxing system upon which our state T makes a way for the "wild cat" and blind tiger under cover to shun his part of the burden of taxation and shifts 1t all upon the honest working people and property holders of the
 Because. the whole proposition of so-caifeJ prohibition was forced upon the people, through excitement and the dirty rum-selling low dives which once ran riot, and which could have been checked and regulated by wise and, properly executed laws. but were
 Because, the system in vogue now Is but experimental. and time suf- ficient has not been given to demon strate It's utility or its good sense. body, in it's terrific frenzy pushes this proposition for a constitutional amend ment upon the people in heat of pas sider its advisability.
 Because, constitutional prohibition would mean increased taxation upon property. and business, with no hope for relief for this or. perhaps the next generation. Taxation for money, to sustain the government, educate the children and provide for the old Con- fejerate veterans.
 Because, constitutional prohibition means consequent shatterlng of the constitution along other lines to make way for deeper inroads into the money puTsOs ot the peoPie oy the taX-Batner- CTS.
 Because, not all legislators and others who favor this constitutional amendment are themselves abstainers from the use of intoxicating liquors and do not expect to become so.
 It will perpetually tempt the weak and lawless to criminality and draw the young and the old Into the dark ened cess-pools of drunkenness ani de- bauchery.
 The saloon has gone. the locker club must go, but the proving night demon-"Blind Tiger will live for years under the aegis of constitutional prohibition, if that be offered him, and he will increase and grow fat, though jail doors may swing to and fro from time to time.
 The people of this state. the moral people, the sober people, the patriotic people of Alabama, should consider well the effect of engrafting such a law upon the constitution before cast ing their ballots.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
R. s. CREWS BOUND OVER.
Florence Man Charged With AssauIt-
 ing Russian.

Florence. Aug. 1b.-(SpectaD-The third trial of R. s. Crews with S. Levi tan, a Russian, as prosecutor. was held before Esquires o. B. Hill and c. w, Lemay.
 The charge in this case was assault with intent to murder and after two sessions. lasting nearly all day, the defendant was bound over to the Cir cult Court In the sum of $500.
 Crews offense was striking Levitan in the ribs with rock in the course of a street altercation and he was fin ed S5 and costs in the Mayors Court but Levitan was not satisfied with the amount of the fine and a warrant charging assault to commit murder was sworn out by him
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16

wishes to destroy che nrst mAksa mad." and ws often hear of -nid-sum- mer madness" that drives men to do strange things. Is 1t possible that Fortune has determined to destroy our isGislators and has made them rmad as . preifminsryf Or has the hot weath- CT co affscted their minds and brains that they have almost ceased to be in- tsiiisent and responsible beingsf rhess's something wrong somewhere. or men in widely separated localities would not act % strangely. They would not be led iike flock of sheep by fanaticai or interested leaders. There must be some explanation for conditions 50 unusual. as we'll az gen erai.
 What The Telegraph says of Geor- gia can be said of c number of the States of the Union which have en- dured . perfect saturnaiia of unwise and unjust legislation. The men who have so acted have not properly rep resented the people who sent them there. for in many instances they have enacted laws that the people never dreamed of There must be cause for all this mis-directed activity but we confess our inability to comprehend 1t.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16

The Augusta Chronicle Ia already seeing sights and having bad dreams. ''The worst thing about the present Georgia Legislature" 1t says, 'is that It has another session ahead of it." In view of what has gone before 1t Is plain that The Chronicle thinks there may be worse to come. Let the brother cheer up; possibly the members may be able to imbibe little good hard sense before they meet again.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16

With the Legislature out of the way Georgia might feel good were it not for the McLendon case. which still hangs on. Perhaps that also will end some day.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16

A new venture in the field of Jour- nalism is The Ashland Progress, pub iished at Ashland. Clay County. of which we have received the second is- sue. W. A. Sutton is editor and c. W. Allen business manager. and we are not trying to Gatter them when we say that their paper does credit to them and their thriving little town. The Progress ought to succeed if it keeps up as it has begun.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
rro,1hle And More of It.

IdIIdUVbu 1NVpUI toI' =, ,,, =,
 Constitutional prohibition will settle the controversy and restore peace in Alabama.-Birmingha News. Mis- taken again, Brother. Trouble, and more of It. You see there are lots of people who do not mind violating the law that would be terribly adverse to violate the constitution!-But. once more. The Reporter is no martyr, and as 1t Is not in the democratic plat form. they may fight 1t out.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
Farewell old Grunter.

ThomasVIIIe Echo
 another rootinE place. Tue town coun- ell has so decreed and September 1 is the time set for you to take your pry- ing nose out of the streets of Thomas. vile. You have long enjoyed the things that were thrown upon the streets but your days are numbered. It is 23 for you and may you flourish In greener fields. No longer will yoj scatter fleas over our town. saonstant reminders Of unwelcome presence in the streets. No more will you climb onto some country wagon and tear pose yourself to that new disease pei. lagra-" We shall miss you, yes indeed we shall miss you, as we wen6 oui way home in the darkness. Fare well old RrHnters, take care of yourself and may you thrive and fattea in your new surroundings
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16

Prohibition may be all right in its place." says @ Kansas paper. Out what the country needs worst is somes body or something to prohibit the pro- hibitionists.'' Evidently that editor wants to begin at the beginning.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16

Last Thursday was general clean
 ing day" in Chicago, the papers tell us. What was the name of the old party who was given the task ot clean ing the Augean stables? No matter: he had a light job compared with any oue who undertakes to clean Chicago.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16

The statement that King Edward raked in a million dollars by a lucky deal in Steel stock shows that he knows how to look out for himself.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
sWoRN CIRCULATfoN.

The figures for Juns printed hs.e~ .,,,yns. cent the actual net ctrculattons saA
 having been deducted. .a -...ct.e. fts < The Mont gomery Advertiser xusIuenssc xuu sss con- aavertisers land makes 1t pars u o. eS1 ecs1peala- tract when reQuestsdl that It's dasy SSn.rine ffcn fs IarGer than that ct any n,o sss tts nswspaper printed in Aispama-sns~s, ns~s,sniation Sunday edition has the Iarees. nr,nfsd tn of auy edition of any newspaper ps
 Ainbama without exeeouon.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16

We are not hearing as much of late about flying as we did a short time ago. Maybe the weather's too hot for them to make an effort.