The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-02
.OvERTON THINKS
 LAW MAKERS WILL MODIFY STATUTE Believes Beer and Light Wines Will Be Tolerated Under
 Local Option
SENTIMENT NECESSARY 10 ENFORCEMENT OF LAW
Good Roads Advocate Pleased With Growth of Sentiment in the State for Better
 Highways.

q believe that the next legislature of Alabama will so amend the Car michael prohibition law as to allow the licensed sale of beers and light wines under local option." said State Senator John w. Overton of Wedowee, who was in the city yesterday
 While I voted for and advocated the statutory prohibition law, I am convinced that local option law as promised in the democratic party plat form would have been more effective. I believe that under a local option law every county in the state with the ex- ception of Mobile would have voted dry and the law would have been held more sacredly by the people. You let the people say what they want and they will see to it that they have it. The statutory law forces a condition on the people without their direct ex- pression, and Americans resent 1t. They are careless about the enforcement of 8 law that is forced upon them.
 T believe in prohibition, but I am convinced that the people sh ould stand behind it, and I believe they would stand behind it if allowed to dictate the conditions.
 q do not believe that the law will be repealed. but I feel that the law makers are willing to make some con- cession to the people and will pass an amendment allowing the sale of beers and light wines where the people want it in large cities. Strict regulations will be thrown about these places and the proprietors given to understand that they must obey the laws. 1 believe the people" would see to 1t that all regula tions for such places would be en- forced.
 'It Is demonstrated fact that laws forced on a people cannot and will not be enforced, and it Is So;iy to expect it.
 This strong prohibition movement Is certain to react as all such move- ments do in time, and I believe it will come at the next session of the legls- lature in the way I have suggested. Governor Patterson of Tennessee is standing on the right principle, and I feel sure that his position will be vindicated in time. All laws must be supported by public sentiment or they are valueless; indeed they are a him drance to public peace and progress" Outlook for Better Roads. Senator Overton is well pleased with the prospects for state aid in the build ing of good roads. As author of the good roads amendment to the constitu- tion and chairman of the campaign committee of the Alabama Good Roads association he has done much hard work in this direction.
 The good roads amendment providing for the appropriation of funds for in- ternal improvement in the state was adopted by the people by an over whelming majority and the next legis- lature will probably do something in the way of road building.
 MT. Overton said: "The campaign committee of the Good Roads associa- tion is preparing for a thorough cam paign of education in the state and strong effort will be made to elect members to the next legislature who are favorable to state aid in the build ing of roads.
 "The people in the last general elec- tion gave the legislature power to en-
 
 gage in internal improvements and the majority of the vote expresses the over whelming sentiment in favor of better roads. We have a state rich in re- sources and are able to build the roads without impairing the states obliga- tions in any direction. This is a mat ter that affects every citizen In the state and one in which every one is enthus- iastically interested when it is right ly understood.
 "The first thing desired is a state high way commission with skilled en- gineer whose duty it shall be to super wise the building of roads in the state. The initial appropriations for road building may be small but 1t Is work that will develop and what Is done may be made permanent. We can never have permanent good roads in the state until the present crude methods of building are abandoned and some thing practical is adopted. There should be uniformity and system, and I believe the state commission is the