The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-13
HOWARD SPEAKS
AT>HANCEV|LLE
Ex-Congressman Ridicules Ar
gument of the AmendeIs
LAWRENCE IS A WONDER
Amendment Is Born of Politics and
viii Die in the SnoW-Wfite
BaIIot-Five Amenders in
Meeting of 800.

Hanceville November 12.-(Special)-
ExC congressman M. w. Howard spoke
in Hanceville today against the amend
ment. He was expected at II o'clock.
but his train was late and at 2 o'clock
he reached the little Gem City of North
Alabama, where crowd of country peo-
pie waited patiently.
Mr.. Howard was introduced by C. Burk-
art of Hanceville, who presided over the
meeting.
The speaker said in part
This is, In my opinion, the greatest
question that has confronted the people
of Alabama since the days Of reconstruc-
ton and l must say further 1 represent
the right side of the question. I have
never seen or known anything like the
campaign now on in this state. In my
county this week there are IL speakers
who are talking twice day, and there
are hundreds of men going up and down
in this state telling the people what this
amendment means, and brother is ar
rayed against brother. father against son,
churches are divided and pastors and
people There is more bitterness in this
fight than l have ever known in Ala
bama.
Burden on Amenders.
my friends, l say 1t is on the crowd
who forced such a campaign on the people
of Alabama to give sufficient reason
for this campaign to justify them In fore
ing it on the people or else they have
done the people of my state a great wrong
in stirring up this question.
1.-THE democratic party swept this state
dry under local option, all except a few
counties, and the saloons had been driven
out, and then the legislature clinched the
work by statewide prohibition. Again that
legislature met and built up by the Car
michael and Fuller bills the prohibition
of the manufacture and storing or keep
ing for sale of anything, by whatsoever
name, color or odor that had more than
one-half of one per cent of alcohol in
1t. as beverages. Alabama became the
most temperate state in the union.
1T ask, did they have a sufficient rea-
son to force this campaign upon us ?
That, too, in face of the fact that the
state treasury is empty and the governor
Indebtedness of this state, and when
hardly half of the legal voters of the
state are qualified to vote by paying their
poll tax, I say the burden is on them
to show cause for this fight this year.
Enough Legislation.
They tell you there was a great cry
to put whisky-blind tigers, the saloon,
out of this state. Hadn't they put them
out? If the Fuller law wouldn't put
them out and with the Carmichael bill,
keep them out, l say this amendment
never will They say that 1t will stop
forever the sale of whisky and the open
saloon If it will am on the wrong side
and I will stop and vote for it. They
say 1t will stop agitation of the ques-
ton and take it out of politics. If it has
ever done this and they can prove It
I will vote for it.
'"The truth is, that all history, all ex-
perience, teaches men that wherever this
amendment has been put into a state con-
stitution 1t has become a political foot-
ball and is threadbare and worn with
uo]itical kicks of resubmission or partisan
policy.
What is the matter that these amend
ers dodge these facts? Haven't they
heard them and read them What are
they doing with 400 speakers, interpreting
what this amendment and these laws
mean in Alabama? Don't you know?
Can't you read? I think l am capable
of understanding what these laws mean
and If you have a 10-year-old boy here
who can't understand you had better put
him under treatment, for something Is
wrong with his head. There Is no need
of dodging-no need Of more construc-
ton,
Conner and Lawrence.
''The sale, the manufacture. is prohib-
tied by law. Now, that's what the law
means. Thirty-six years ago my county