The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-17

traffic in and about village known as Goodwater Academy. Coosa County. But this was of course repealed week later by the special act of county wide prohibition before referred to. But constituents around the said 0oodwa- ter Academy got nervous over the status quo and called for some little change in their first act. To this change in the law was attached the Greenviile rider that the Supreme Court afterward as ruled having the effect of repealin gprohibition- It took tedious test cases to convince the pro- hlbit!onists that there was no dry spot In this precinct but the Supreme and Circuit Courts as often sustained the vets.
 Thus was there a continuous reign of wet until January 1, 1893 when by the verdict of about 200 majority in the county under c local option cleo ton, the dry blanket at last spread over the whole of Butler.
 What, therefore, does one find to- day? If Butler County throughout has not prohibition as the real article 1t is so nearly dry that. before the last rainy spell, mud cats were crying for linen dusters Auth critics say that the people have once more spoken and spoken in no uncertain tones. The sa- iooh5 hdu DCCh Put ou SHc tObo6 0h and on it, they should stay until they shall have slid from the county limits. That Is the way that Mayor Hamilton looks at 1t. That Is the way that Sherin W. S. Watson looks at 1t. Pro- bate Judge H. D Lampieys position speaks for itself He. as presiding judge over misdemeanors. and almost invariably given the hard labor sen tence in addition to fines in convictions Co ,a11o tI- To
 Mayor Hamilton tells that he Is prohibitionIst but local optionist and he is glad of 1t. He, therefore. feels reassured in fixing heavy fines when the law is violated. Solicitor A. E. Gamble declares that he has seen al ways a disposition of Butler County juries to convict when the evidence Is that way. He fears nothing on this score. He says that liquor has been voted out of the county and the vast majority seems to have acquiesced In the verdict. For this reason also the jury commissioners will tell of no need in careful selection of juries in prohi- bition cases. Often they purposely put on the venirs men who fought prohi- bition. They, even down to the man who actually sold 1t, have voted for conviction.
 Sentiment Convicts.
 It is a wholesome condition for the enforcement of the law. While once a criminal statute was openly disre- garded and disobeyed it Is now, under a different momentum enforced quite creditably. Once there was a resent ment of the law. Twenty years later there was a calm submission. Senti- ment has crystalized for enforcing pro- hibition and the friends of the measure seem to have grown with its operation in this county. That Is why no little credit Is given R. A. Lee, president of the Law and Order League, for the viz ilance of that body with respect to prohibition. Merchants here tell the story of Selma Uniontown and Demop- oils, that the negro seems to have more money to spend since the saloons have gone. They spend 1t more pleas antly and more wisely.
 Also a dozen farmers of the county who were interviewed testified to ben eficial conditions brought about by prohibition. Nearly all of their praises are for the law as 1t applies to the negro. Though 1t Is also evident that the poor white laborer has the same benefactions of the law. But the ne- gro. they told the writer, is now dis posed to stay on the farm Saturdays whereas formerly he hurried to town to load up on whiskey. He In some in- stances also works through Saturday as well as he did on Monday. Of course, there are intervals when some of them get it by express Then there Is little Interruption of the improved