The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-09-22
SOME ARGUMENTS,

1T is almost discouraging to read and
consider the alleged arguments used
by some of the weekly papers in sup
port of the amendment: disooura ging,
because It shows that they are greatly
In need of information or else they
count on the ignorance of their read
ers. Here, as an example. is an edito-
rial paragraph from The Lineville
Headlight:
hibition are about equal in number to
the opponents of statutory prohib ition
occasionally some weak kneed brother
deserts the ranks. but there Is always
hibition has proved to be good thing
| in Alabama and the people of the State
Will soon take a step forward and put
1t into their constitution.
That first sentence is decidedly mis-
has had any opportunity to know. the
strength of the opposition to statutory
prohibition in Alabama. for the ques-
ton was never discussed before the
people or voted on by them. The Gov
ernor was elected on a local option
| Platform. In nearly all the counties
Of the State the liquor question was
either not an issue at all or else the
issue was local option. The people did
not express themselves on statutory
prohibition because no opportunity
was given them to do So The Gov
ernor and his Legisla ire betrayed
the trust reposed in II EN- and put on
the statute books a series of laws
that the people who elected them had
not voted for or anticipated. and which
they will not endorse, in our judg-
ment.
The Headlight knows that the ques-
tion Of amending the Constitution was
not discussed at all. and If such a
measure was thought of by any of the
extremists. they were careful not to
let the voters hear of It, For these
and various other reasons that present
themselves. papers like The Headlight
are either badly lacking in information
and fairness. or else they think the
people are blind. when they talk about
the strength of the opposition to State.
wide prohibition. We think these
blind leaders will have their eyes
opened when November ends.
And when The Headlight tells It's
readers that occasionally some weak
kneed brother deserts the ranks, at
offers a gratuitous insult to large
numbers of the best men of the State;
men who, perhaps, have less interest
or sympathy with the whiskey traffic
than some OF these editors do; men who
are prohibitionists from principle and
but who are too Just and fair and
high minded to back up an effort to
degrade the Constitution Of their State.
The papers which are sneering at the
so-called weakened brethren" will
find that they are a power for good
in the land and will hand out re-
brke to their traducers that will not
room be forgotten.
As to the assertion that "prohibi>
ton has proven a good thing in Ala
bama.". The Headlight will have to
produce something in the way OF evil
dence that will be more satisfactory
and convincing than Its own opinions
are. 1t is so far purely experimental
and we feel sure that the people of the
State win not go such a long step
blindly as would be done by putting
prohibition In the Constitution. where
1t would be as out Of place as it would
have been in the Declaration of In
dependence.
! And along the same line we find The
Ashland Progress declaring that the
defeat Of the constitutional amend
ment in Alabama would be taken as a
great victory for the organized whis-
kew interests throughout the United
States" We have a decided convic-
ton that the many good upright and
sincere prohibitlonists of Alabama
who are fighting this pernlcious meas
ure will not feel very kindly tou,arlFs
newspapers which. in effect, classes
them as fivoring the organized wills.
key interests u" They are lighting
this measure because they know it to
be wrong, and have no sympathy with
the whiskey interests" whatever
that may be. To charge by plain in