The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-11-18
CyLLMAN WILL GO
AGAINST AMENDMENT

Some surprise was expressed when
Cullman county, at the time the pro-
hibition sentiment was strongest In
Alabama. voted dry. but those who un-
derstood the voting strength OF and
superintendent Of the county were not
surprised. The Anti-Saloon League d.
ways pitches Its first battle toAget To-
cal option with the county as a unit.
There Is reason why the prohibition
fst prefers the county as a unit rath-
er than the city or town. As a general
thing in Alabama just before the last
legislature met. whis<ey was sold In
only one town In the county. The
merchants In other towns. the cross
roads merchants. had reason to believe
that the wet town attracted trade
which should. in the natural order
come to them. And In Alabama due
perhaps to an old political campaign
and due perhaps to other conditions
there was distinct prejudice against
the towns. At the proper time when a
local option election was called the
rest of the county fell on the wet
town which had Its own people divid-
ed--fell on the wet" town and wiped
out its whiskey business.
The Politicians Upset.
So faithfully had the country vote
turned up for prohibition at each and
every election that the prohibition
politicians In this campaign could not
believe-they could not understand
that this vote was against the amend
ment. although presented In the name
of prohibition. But they have now
walked up to the fact that the country
men Is more likely to be against the
amendment than the man In town-in-
asmueh as the possible harmful effects
from the adoption of the amendment
would fall 40 heavily upon. the coun-
try home as the home in town.
Cullman went prohibition by hand
some majority. But the town of Gull
man gave a majority of $50 against 1t.
And after. the county had voted for
prohibition, the voters calmly and in
tentionally defeated every prohibition
list who ran for office in the county.
Nor was that all. Notwithstanding the
fact that the county had gone dry"
under Democratic rule and when pro-
hibiton was a Democratic doctrine, the
voters turned around. defeated the
Democratic candidates for county ON,
GERS and elected Republican vets"
| One Democrat was elected to member
ship on the Board of County Commits
sioners, but he was elected. 1t was said.
because he had worked SO zealously
against prohibition.
| To emphasize this political queerness
and the Republican candidate for Con-
gress beat Congressman John L. Bur-
nett ninety-five votes in the county.
George H. Parker and Probate Judge
Robert Burke are acknowledged as be-
ing perhaps the two strongest political
| personages In the county, which has SO
many political cross currents. They
are lighting harder to beat the amend
ment than they ever fought for them
selves. An unusual feature of the cam
paign in this county is a Republican
\ committee, made up of prominent cit
| liens who have organized independent
ly to fight the amendment. At the
head of this committee are /. Pollak,
formerly of Montgomery, George Bey-
er. the Republican Mayor of Cullman.
and other Republican leaders. They
are conducting their own campaign
making their fight according to their
own idea. As has before been pointed
out, the Republican vote in Cullman
County Is about as large as the DEM
ocratic and the Republicans do not
want the Democrats to claim the honor
| of having beaten the amendment in that
county. 1t Is said that more than 80
per cent. OF the Republicans of the
county are opposed to the amend
ment.
The Republican committee has sent
out many speakers. 1t has canvassed
each beat and 1t is understood that it
has two special workers In each beat.
Judge Burke and Representative Par
ker. for the past month, have given
their undivided time to the conduct of
the most active campaign that Cullman
County has ever witnessed. They have
1 ridden from end to end of the county
more than once, and never country
man comes to town but one OF them
sees him and tells him that the amend
ment Is bad thing. They have each
beat polled---a tally one way or the
other against each mans name.
4 Opinion of Leaders.
Mr.. Parker is conservative. He
says. I'VE, have the county by nice
majority. It's a large majority now,
but you never can tell what will be
done in two weeks. But We are so far
ahead of them that they can never
overtake us, no matter what they do. :"
Judge Burke is more positive. He
says:
THE majority Will be 500 at least.
If for the next two weeks the fight is
as favorable to us as 1t has been In
the past two weeks, 1t is possible that
we may run the majority up to 1000.
/ We expect to leave Cullman town with
375 majority And we expect to get
twice that much In the country pre-
cincts. They will carry two beats In
the county and possibly third by a
small majority. All the other country
beats will increase our town majority"
The pro-amendment people have been