The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-11
JUDGE WALKER ON
THE LEGAL PHASES
Stallings Maintains Amend
ment Is Purely Political
BIG CROWD AT HUNTSVILLE
Judge Walker Says Amendment Was
Framed Apparently With Idea That
People Were Excited and
Would Accept Anything.
BIG CROWD AT HUNTSVILLE
BY ROY O'NEAL.

Huntsville, November 1O.-(Special J
Judge Richard w. Walker and Jesse F.
Stallings addressed an enthusiastic
crowd of thousand people at an anti
amendment rally in the Elks theatre
tonight.
Judge Walker said the legislature
passed the amendment bill because it
was an administration measure with out
knowing what it was. The people
are waking up to realization of VIII at
1t Is and will refuse to write it in the
constitution. He discussed the fact
that while under the first secAion
you are allowed to have alcohol for
scientific mechanical and medical pur-
poses and wine for sacramental pur-
poses this section prohibited you from
making the alcohol or the wine for
sacramental purposes; that if it were
proper that alcohol should be used and
wine sh ould be used in the sacrament
it was equally proper that they should
be made or manufactured for such
usage.
In discussing the second section
Judge Walker reviewed the acts of
the legislature and the suggested nee
essity for the section. He then pointed
out the fact that at first it was never
questioned that the second section gave
the power to the legislature to pro-
hibit the keeping of prohibited liquors
in the home. and that the attempt now
made to explain away this dangerous
power granted by the second section
was clearly an afterthought and sug-
gested that the amendment was evidently
framed upon the theory that the people
were in a state of excitement and would
accept whatever was offered to them I'M
der the guise of prohibition. After re-
viewing the acts of the last legislature
he stated that the conclusion was I'M
avoidable that it would not be safe TO
trust them with more power.
Mr.. StalingS, in the opening of his ad-
dress, stated that in as much as Judge
Walker had dealt SO fully with the
amendment itself and the legal phases Of
the subject he would largely confine him
self to the question of whether this was
a moral or a political issue. He reviewed
the history of the present legislature and
called attention to the platform upon
which the governor and 9S per cent of the
He charged that this amendment was
first conceived at conference between
Governor Conner, Judge Weakley. Brooks
Lawrence and others, and stated that
this charge had been often made and
never denied, and that if denied proof of
its truth would be Forthcoming. He
called attention to the purposes of polit-
ical platforms which he urged the peo-
pie had right to demand should be
respected as solemn pledges. He called
attention to the violations by this legis-
lature of the platform upon which it's
members were selected and asked If 1t
were safe to entrust more power to men
who have violated these pledges, and to
accept the statement of stump speakers
who were not even members of the legis-
lature as to what this and future legisla-
lures would do.
In conclusion he discussed the political
parson in politics. calling attention to the
fact that the pulpit is the minister's
place and not the stump, and that the
churches had been built and erected for
the purpose of preaching the word of
God and helping sinners and not for the
purpose of political assemblages, and
that Sunday had always heretofore been
day for rest and prayer and not day
of political discussions.
Mr.. Stallings also addressed a gather
ing of 125 people at Hazel Green today
and 120 were against the amendment
White e. Gibson and r. K. Spragins adj
dressed a gathering of 100 voters at New
Hope this afternoon, and at the con-
clusion of their addresses a poll was
taken. All were found to be against the
amendment except one.
Madison county is safe in the anti
amendment column by 75O majority