The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-06

1
feat of the proposal to put prohibition"
| into the organic law of Alabama should
not be construed into meaning sudden
reversal of public opinion in that state.
but II must be regarded as an emphatic
rebuke to the advocates of radical legis-
lation. Alisning as 1t did so many prohi-
bitionists with opponents of prohibition,
the incidents and result of the campaign
| must be distinctly weakening to prohibit
/ ticnists The state warned against this
radicaIism as bound to cause reaction.
Arkansas Democrat Let us hope that
this is the beginning of the end of the
demagogue in the south.
If other states will follow the lead of
Alabama and turn down any and every
thing such men may champion, that class
of statesmen will very soon be retired
from public life and honest men with
hsnest issues, pure motives and sincere
and patriotic purposes will get in control
OF affairs in this country once more.
The demagogue has enjoyed a very long
season of success in the south for a
number of years. but there Is a rift in
the clouds and Alabama is the first state
to turn him down.
There are other states that would do
we'll to follow the lead.
Baltimore News: It will take time to de-
termine whether the defeat in Alabama
means that the prohibition wave In the
south has reached food tide and Is now
receding. If such is the case. 1t viii be
only what was anticipated by those who
believe that no reform which comes In a
tempest of hysteria can be lasting. But
If the election is setback to prohibition.
1t would be a great mistake for the liquor
interests to view 1t as in any way affect
ing the determination, growing slowly
but firmly and surely. OF the people OF
this country who understand fully the
evils of the traffic. to keep it within
bounds, to keep 1t out of politics, to curb
and restrain Its growth as much as they
can. while still advancing the cause of
sobriety and temperance.
Charleston News and Courier: The
liquor laws passed last year are of the
most drastic character They are SO
outrageous in their provisions that they
invite the opposition of the people in
stead of appealing to their support. They
hold the rights of individuals in con-
tempt and regulate by law the conduct
of the citizen. There was no demand on
the part of the people for the enactment
of such legislation. The members of the
general assembly were frightened into
the approval of the prohibition laws and
now the people of the state have spoken
for the first time they have ever had the
chance against the blue laws of Conner
and his associates who have really done
the cause of good government and tenn
perance moro harm than can be cured
In a cycle of right living.
Syracuse Herald: If the question SUBJ
mitted had simply been one of license or
no license, saloon or no saloon. the result
might have been different. But the advo-
further. One provision deprived the right
of the individual to keep liquor in his
home. 1t gave officers of the law the
right to enter the home-sacred above all
other institutions to the Northumberland
| to rummage 1t and open its secrets. This
very procedure has been Witnessed in
Alabama the past year. Is it any won-
der that there came a revulsion of feel
ing among the people and that the over
jealous advocates of the temperance
cause have been sharply held up in that
state? The gravest outrages were possi-
BILE under the proposed law and the sus-
picion cannot be eliminated that there
was some other motive than the mere de-
sire to raise the moral standard of the
commonwealth behind a proposition SO
radical and so Objectionable.
Washington Herald: 1t Is as plain as
anything can be that the prohibition ele-
ment in Alabama sadly overdid the thing.
A movement calculated to appeal to
large number of rational and dspas-
sionats people was taken in hand by
extremists and self-eeeking politicians.
and tho result was as might have been
expected. Intolerance has run riot In
Alabama for the past few years; radi-
caffsm has ruled the roost from Talla-
dega to Mobile Bay. The elimination of
the bar-room from the entire state was
followed by the most drastic prohibition
law ever placed on the statue books of
any state in the union. The very use of
the word saloon" was prescribed by law;
the right of search was stretched to in
tolerabls lengths; the mere possession of
liquor was made prima facie evidence of
intent to break the law in practically
every conceivable circumstance. But that
was not enough. 1t was decided by the
prohibition politicians that the principle
must be embalmed in the constitution;
that the police power of the state must
be organically declared to cover the
homes of the people with respect to hunt
ing out the demon Rum. And right there
is where the people rehelled. Fanaticism's