The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-15
SPEAKS IN PRATTVLLE
JUDGE A. E. srRATrON ON THE
 AMENDMENT.
MontgomeFy Man SHOWS the Petty Poi- itics Behfnd the Movement- Prohibitfon in Aiabnma
 Not Involved.

En Prohibitfon in Alabnma
 Not Involved.
 | Prattyiiie. oct 14.-(Special.) Judge A. E. Stratton. of Montgomery, in I dlgnined and thoughtfui address here l tonight, explained the proposed consti- | tutionai amendment aud urged the voters to cast their ballots against lt.
 The speaking was at the Autauga l County court house where an audience l estimated at from 275 to 300 persons heard the speech. About 100 women and children were In the audience. The remarks of Judge Stratton. who was introduced by Douglass Booth,
 were frequently interrupted by ap- | plause.
 The Montgomery man spoke in part
 as follows:
 | "The Issue is not prohibition, for that | has existed In Alabama under a State- wide statute since January l, 1909. But | the issue Is whether or not a prohibi- | tion amendment to the constitution shall be adopted which does not aid
 prohibition. That amendment Is mere | ly another declaration that the manu- facture and sale of liquors shall be pro- hibited in Alabama-simply two deca-
 rations on the same subject-and both
 rest for enforcement upon existing
 drastic laws passed by the last Legis-
 lature. Why two declarations? Neith-
 CT can help the other.
 "The amendment Is therefore useless and unnecessary. Such laws and | amendments are always harmful. Mir.
 Jefferson held that that government | was best which governed least IL | follows that the fewest laws on any 1 subject is the wisest and best policy. | In e multiplicity of laws there Is likely to be non-enforcement of some, If not
 of all
 | Moderation and conservatism would 1 demand that the experiment of prohibi- | tion be first tried under the law. be- | fore 1t Is put into the constitution. If | satisfactory and suited to our condi- l ton as a people, 1t would be maintained
 and enforced under the Statewide law.
 and if So enforced no necessity for an
 amendment to the constitution. Exper- | iment can with greater safety and pro-
 priety be tried by law than in the con- | stitution. "A reading of the amendment shows that it Is not self-enforcing, and can | only be made effective in the same way | as the Statewide statute is enforced. l by aid of existing laws Then why tw" I offenses one against the law. and one l against the constitution. yet only one penalty? This could only be thought of except through incorporate and mis- l taken zeal.
 Alabama needs repose. not agitation, | The experience of other States shows | that putting prohibition in the consti- | tuition does not take it out of politics | Nor even aid the cause either by way of popularizing 1t or enforcing 1t. South Dakota had four elections m | eleven years in putting prohibition in and out of It's constitution. Ohio sim ply disregards constitutional prohibi- | ton and 1t Is one of the greatest liquor manufacturing and selling States in the Union. Kansas and Maine are consti- | tutionally dry States; in fact wet States. This disregard of prohibition
 is open. notorious and shameful. Ala bama, Mississippi, North Carolina and Georgia have within the year adopted by law Statewide prohibition-and 1t
 Is as we'll enforced in these States. 1T not better. than in States where consti- tutionai prohibition obtains. "The adoption of the amendment
 would destroy local option. the tenn
 perance policy of the State. and of the Anti Saloon League of the United States. except the Alabama branch.
 which for political reasons, has depart ed from the faith. The adoption of the | amendment will not prevent repeal-it
 will only intensity opposition to prohi- | bition. s
 "This amendment Is not a moral is- | sue, 1t Is political The purpose Is agi- | tation, not party politics but personal | politics--the worst sort of politics. Be-
 sides 1t was introduced and passed by the Legislature just as all the other ! measures and policies of the present
 State administration were introduced | and passed by the late special sessions of the Legislature. It was not then called a moral issue. but was treated as a political question, and votes and log lnd | that one of the prohibition candidates | for Governor. through his friends. se- cured the requisite number of votes In | the Senate to secure the passage of the | amendment by that body.
 "Prohibition Is not in issue. It will | remain in Alabama whatever be the I fate of this amendment-whethe de- | feated or adopted. The persistent pres sure for the amendment then looks like | intolerance and a disposition to rule or ruin. Knock the other fellow down and l rub 1t in.
 "A vote for the amendment is a vote | for the endorsement of Governor Co., mer's administration, not a vote to aid | the cause of prohibition. It Is an en- dorsement of those members of the Legislature who violated instruction of the convention of 1s06-pledging local l option.
 "The second section of the amend ment Is dangerous. It takes the bridle | off and under the police powers the l Legislature becomes the unrestrained | master of us all; 1t invades the home, | and violates the principles of the com | mon law by making acts not criminal | of themselves, simply acts prohibited | by law, the basis of searches and seiz- ures when under the common law only sea arches and seizures issued in cases where actual crimes had been commit | ted.
 While 1t is denied by Judge Weak l ley and Rev. Brooks Lawrence that the | purpose is to invade the home, 1t Is ad- mitted that the purpose Is to strike down A recent decision of the Supreme Court to render 1t impossible for that court to protect the citizen In prosecu- lions under the prohibition law. So they would not only deny trial by jury, hut also so emasculate the Supreme Court as to make 1t powerless to pro- tect the citizen against the vengeance
 of fanaticism.
 You cannot safely endorse nor li cense a sentiment like that to do as II please in Alabama. That is what you do when you vote for the amendment. "No amendment to the constitution
 should be made now that about one third of the white voters of the State
 are fisfranchised, because they failed in some instances to register and to nay poll tax in others. No amendment other than relief of these voters should l be adopted until after relief Is given ot othar,,ISa If ia class rule"