The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-23

ing for some time division of time with some of the distinguished speakers of the opposition, but the local committee hay ing the speakings in charge had refused to allow him to meet anyone but Judge Weakley and only in the city of Hunts vile. He referred to Governor Corners slur at him, charging him with being a pro-liquor leader, and said that the governor had insulted him without cause. He said the governor had no right to criticise anyone as a pro-liquor man, since Governor Conner had sold liquor himself in Barbour county a number of years ago. Now this great prohibition governor, he said, who was formerly liquor dealer, is applying insulting terms to those who do not agree with him.
 Willing to Stand on Record.
 The senator said that he would stand on his record, as he has nothing to be ashamed of He recalled the fact that his friends forced him Into the race for the state senate and that out of 20 sa- looms in Huntsville only two favored his election.
 Judge Weakley claims that I was weak for the dispensary," he said. T favored local option with the county as the unit in 1907; favored a dispensary as the best solution of the liquor question and still believe that is the best solution of the question At that time local option was regarded as a good temperance measure and there was only one legislator in the state who favored statewide prohibition. Everybody was satisfied with local option then and even our rampant statewide governor had nothing to say in favor of prohibition.
 The senator said the governor and a majority of the members of the state legislature have violated their election pledges in voting against the very things that they were elected to do. He quoted William J. Bryan's scathing rebuke of democrats who violate the obligations of their platform. He charged that Brooks Lawrence had agreed to let the Madison county dispensary alone for four years and that in securing the passage of the statewide bill Dr. Lawrence had violated a sacred obligation The prohibitionists, he said, had, in their zeal to carry their point, lost sight of common decency and the sacredness of verbal contracts.
 Replying to a question, the senator said the people knew when they elected him that he was not In favor of prohibition, and since then nothing has occurred to cause him to change his opinion.
 Not Candidate for Governor.
 "Under the circumstances had no more right to vote for statewide prohibition than had to vote for saloons. l say to Judge Weakley that if he Is tying his po- litical aspirations to this amendment proposition it will take a Fullericker search warrant to find him after the cleo ton is over. I say to you that l am not a candidate for the goyernorship. When I think of the cost of seeking this office and the breaking up of home ties neces- sary to fulfilling the duties of the office l realize that do not care snap of my finger for the office. Can you, Judge Weakley say as much?'
 He recalled that Governor Conner re- gently said the legislature passed the pro- hibition law because three-fourths of the people demanded it. Senator Spragins de- nied this most emphatically. He charged that the Fuller bill is nothing but an eff fort to get the enforcement of the law out of the hands of the people, taking it away from the juries and putting 1t in the hands of the chancery courts. He believes in moderate temperance, like that taught in the Bible.
 Replying to a question he said he did not know what he would do if he was confronted with the question of saloons or statewide. He asked Judge Weakley if 1t Is not true that he has become an en- thusiastic prohibitionist since he became attorney for the Anti-Saloon league. He asked Judge WealSley to tell the ladies if they would be allowed to make cordials for their sick babies.
 Speaker Cautions Public.
 He cautioned the people against the pro- posed amendment, and said 1t Is far bet ter for a few men to drink too much than for the whole people of the state to ratify the amendment and surrender their sa- cred liberties. He said 1t is not a ques- ton of what the state can do for the in- dividual but what the individual can do for himself in the face of temptation. He Legged the people to decide the question for themselves, and not allow the preach. CTS ot scare them into doing something that they will regret in the future.
 Judge Weakley was allowed 20 minutes for his rejoinder, and he devoted 1t to a defense of the second section, claiming that no legislature could be assembled in Alabama to pass law against man keeping liquor in his home.
 Judge Weakley leaves in the morning for Sheffield. where he will meet Hon. Emmet O'Neal.