The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-26
HOBSON SPEAKS
 AT TUSCALOOSA
Argues In Favor of the Prohi-
 bition Amendment
ELECTION IS TOO EARLY
Says Matter Was Rushed Along and for This Reason Many Good Men Are Opposing Measure.
 County Fair Opens.
BY R. T. NABERS.


 Tuscaloosa, October 25-tSpecial.) )-Capt. R. P Hobson spoke here today in the courthouse in support of the constitution al amendment before 8 comfortably filled house. The captain drew probably the largest crowd of any of the speakers on either side of the question at this place.
 Judge H. B. Foster presided at the meeting and introduced the speaker. Captain Hobson stated that he found this to be a serious question confronting the people and one on which they were greatly divided; that in many instances fathers were against sons and brothers against brothers. He said that he thought it should be discussed in an altogether dispassionate manner; that there was no time for abuses.
 He said that he wished to say some thing to the amendists, that was that they should not hope to aid their cause by abusing the opposition; that they had no right to say that the men who were opposing this measure were lined up with the whisky men, that such was not the case; that there was no more warrant in saying this than in the opposition's say ing its supporters were fanatics Captain Hobson said he would probably treat the subject differently from the manner it has heretofore been treated, and that was by cool and dispassionate analysis of the one issue: whether this amendment was the proper thing for the cure of the great whisky evil
 The captain then went into a very long and very minute resume of the scientific conclusions on the result of alcohol He quoted the latest statistics on the sub ject which, he said, he was surprised had not been used In this campaign He related the experiments that have been made with animals, vegetables, birds, beasts and man with alcohol He showed that according to these, alcohol did harm in all cases. He recited the amount ex- pended in drink, the decrease in efficiency by using 1t. the effect on progeny, etc
 The speaker said the drink evil had lasted since the foundation of the world and had retarded the evolution of all liv- ing matter with which 1t had come in contact This was the great evil, he said, to be confronted. The question pre- senting itself was, how could this be met? The issue, he said, was this amendment; as physicians looking for a cure and using this the knife, the question was, in attempting to cut out this evil is there danger of plunging the knife into our hearts?
 He then took up the question as to whether this evil should be treated by constitutional law, and stated that the trouble was organic and should be treat ed by organic law, by constitutional law. He said local option was the beginning of the fight, statewide prohibition another step and constitutional prohibition should follow.
 T T. orI,4 was made in calling the election at this time; that things should not have been so rushed and this was the reason so many good men were opposing the move ment. If he had had the say so he would have waited before calling for con- stitutional prohibition. However this should make the amenders work the harder.
 He said the amendment was simple thing and not dangerous. As to the first clause, he said, there could be no ob- jection. It was very harmless However, he stated, he would have preferred that after the word manufacture" the words flor sale" follow. He said that he didn't suppose anyone would ever be molested for making cordial, scuppernong wine, etc., but that it would have been better to have inserted those words to make it plain that such was the case.
 As to the second section, he said, it was so framed to meet the Eidge case in Bes- semer; that mans home had always been his castle and that there was no danger of its invasion; that in case such a thing were tried there would be no one to enforce such a law because pub lie sentiment would be too strong against 1t; that such a law, If passed, should not be enforced; that he was sure such one couldn't be passed under this sec- ton, as decisions of the supreme court | indicated that such a law would be un- 1 constitutional.
 However, he said though it was not | needed, yet if he had had the framing | of the second section, for campaign or | strategic purposes, he would have insert i ed an exception of the home that argu- | ment along this line was doing the | amendment more harm than any thing else and with that exception there | would have been nothing with which to frighten the people.
 The captain spoke for about an hour and a half and received close atten- ton He was frequently applauded. There | were a number of ladies out and the | majority of the audience was of the | amendists persuasion, though good | sprinkling of defenders were also pres ent
 County Fair Opens.