The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-02
OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON WHAT
FUTURE DEMANDS AND WHAT
WILL BE EXPECTED OF NEW
POLITICAL LEADERS.
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
The final returns indicate a majority
approximately 10000 against the proposed
amendment This. however, does not in
dicate a majority for the return of the
open saloon. There are thousands and
tens of thousands of men in this state
who had original doubts as to the pol
Icy of prohibition, and are still not fully
convinced of it's wisdom, but who are
convinced that 1t ought to have a full
and fair trial before any interference
with it by the legislature. Common sense
suggests that every good citizen In this
state should stand behind the prohibition
statutes and use all reasonable efforts
to procure their enforcement and prevent
their repeal-at least until they have had
the fullest and fairest test. II it works
of the permanent policy of tho state. If
in the interest of temperance and good
order it requires modification In any par
ticular, 1t will be soon enough to con-
slider 1t when that condition arises At
all events. am opposed. as believe the
majority of all good citizens of Alabama
are opposed, to any suggestion of the re-
turn of the open saloon as we have here
tofore known it in this state.
While all Of this is true we must not
forget that If this election had been put
off until after February /, SO as to give
the people an opportunity to pay up their
back poll taxes, the majority against the
amendment would have been between 3d.
900 and 100000 An effort to impose any
policy upon a free people against such a
majority thereof would be fatal to the
cause of free institutions should It sue
coed. Is is of the first Importance that
every temporarily disfranchised white
voter in this state, otherwise possessing
the qualifications prescribed by law,
should be urged to pay his poll tar, in
Guiding all arrears, on or before Febru-
airy 1 next. to the end that our elector-
ate may reasonably represent the real
voice of the white people of the state
Our registration statutes must be mod
fled in some particulars. Probably a
thousand men in this county had no op-
portunity of registering, owing to the
rush during the last two days prior to
the election. Without any question as to
whether there was Partially or not, this
is an unseemly condition, which should
not be repeated. More than two days
should be allowed for additional reg
istration before general elections In the
larger counties. Neither should specific
excuses be required. For instance. a Con-
federate soldier having both the educa-
tional and property qualifications should
not be refused registration when he pre-
sents himself before the board, merely
because he failed to present himslf when
they passed through his precinct. Any
statute which permits a thing of this
sort should be changed.
OF greater Importance Is some modif1-
cation of our poll tax requirements. /
believe that the payment of a poll tax
for many months prior to the election
should remain a condition precedent to
voting, but / likewise believe that our
law on the subject requires some amend
ment Both Mississippi and South Car
DINA have q far larger proportionate ne
gro population than Alabama In those
states poll taxes are made a lien on tax
able property and collected just as 9TH
ar taxes are. Their system has been
in vogue longer than ours and they have
had no difficulty with the negro Ques-
ton. Both states with smaller white
populations than ours are in the habit
of polling a larger vote. Their returns
from pom tax receipts far exceed ours.
Poll taxes should not be collected by gar
nishment but, as stated, they should be
made a lien ON taxable property and COL
lected by law instead of being purely vol
untary. y. ). BoWlh.
birmingham, December l. 1909.