The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-11-19
DR.. CUNNINGHAM
FOR AMENDMENT
~
Speaks to 500 at The
Auditorium.
YOUNG MEN VOCIFER0US
Speaker Eschews Politics and Says
Not Thus Interested. 4
Learned Doctor would choose Conner
ism Rather Than whiskey-says
He Is Out of All Politics
In This Is

Be the cause whatever 1t may, cool
ness Of the weather or fervor Of former
adherents of the amendment forces,
the fact remains that DR.. r. M. Cum
ningham, admittedly among the most
entertaining of political speakers Of the
State. and supposedly among its most
influential men. could not draw but
500 persons to dispose themselves adj
vantageously to the eye In the audi
torium Thursday evening to hear him
defend the proposed amendment to the
State constitution.
Fifth of the 500 sat behind the doc
tor on the elevated seats reserved for
the Young Mems Amendment Club"
This party of young men had among
them many banners bearing inscrip-
ton more or less appropriate to the
question at issue.
OF the $50 persons who faced DIR.
Cunningham, at least zoo were women.
and liberal sprinkling Of veterans.
VINO remained over in Montgomery for
the purpose of hearing him speak, was
to be seen.
Led by the youths on the elevated
seats, the cheering was at times vo-
ciferous and as the doctor drove home
some point, particularly clear to them
and enunciated 1t In way deftly UNI
derstood by him. the audience became
at tlmSS very eHbnubihStiC.
Early In his speech, DR.. Cunningham
was careful to defend himself from
any possible future impeachment of
motive by announcing that he was
for the amendment as q matter OF
principle and had no aspirations. politi-
cal or otherwise. save to be left alone
to attend to his private affairs in his
own way.
He was careful to explain also that
possibly there are others on the stump
or privately favoring the amendment
who have political aspirations, and
later In his speech said that even adj
hitting such to be the case, IL he had
to choose between Comerism and whis-
key he should choose Comerism.
Clearing his skirts OF connections
with other mems possible questionable
motives, he denied any interest in the
political welfare or misfortune of any
man on either side Of the present ques-
ton, whether that man now seeks po-
litical preferement at the suffrage of
Alabama or has sought preference In
the past or shall seek 1t in the fu-
ture.
Admitting the absolute impossibility
of obtaining prohibitive prohibition,
DIR. Cunningham said:
''Why Is 1t. ladies and gentlemen.
that we can not have prohibition that
prohibitsr'
Answering this question. he placed
the onus entirely avupnn sothe Officers
elected by the people. Later he made
the unequivocal assertion that 1--WE
can never have effective and satisfac-
tory prohibition on the top side OF the
world SO long as alcohol is manufac-
tured."
Rushing to defend the breach in the
armor of the amendists caused by the
provisions endangering the home and
standing sponsor for all future Legis-
Iatures. Dr. Cunningham declared that
no Legislature. the next or the next
after IT, would pass laws endangering
the nome.
Devoting the remainder of his speech
to a ten minutes peroration. on the
necessity of the success Of the amend
ment, and to alleged evils to follow
close upon its defeat DIR. Cunningham
closed He was followed by Kyle B.
Price, a former clerk of the Legisla-
ture, who spoke fifteen minutes.