The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-30
Reason of Life Long 7emperance
 Worker For His Opposition.
BY PEYroN RIsn sArFoLp


 Editor The Advertiser:
 We are told that "tn the rnultitud, of councillors there is wisdom" Tn momentous nature of the fssue betor, the voters of Alabama renders thu general and free, but calm and consid erate. expression of opinion en,inenti, suitable.
 Evils resulting from the abuse oI the tfafl1c in alcoholic fluids are gen erally recognized and need not be stat cd Before anything can be done. ad' visedly, towards removing or prevent ing these svils, an understanding al to the allowable uses Of any) of thu buidf mentioned is necessary.
 My understanding is that the public doesn't regard the temperate use al wrong. According to my recollection when an effort for the. estabiishme1i of a dispensary in Montgomery was ir progress some years ago. the declara' tion was expressly made, by leaders oi the plan for . dispensary did no' charge that the temperate use of stim. ulants Is wrong; and the rightfulness of the social use Cat homel of them Il recognized in one of the laws passet by the Legislature at its recent ses. sion. fg.t
 further understand that in thu practice of medicine, oftentines thu stimulation of patient 10 highly i'm portant: that alcoholic stimulants af. ford the proper stimulation; and hence. that the sale of such stfmulanti for medicinal use is especially right. The deduction that stimulants should be sold in forms deemed advisable bs physicians seems clear.
 The thirty-hfth section of tns Declaration of Rights of the consti. sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citi' zen in the enjoyment of life, liberty and property, and when the govern ment assumes other functions. 1t is usurpation and oppression."
 use of alcoholic stimuiants. as bev- erages, and the medicinal use of them are al1owable. and in view of the fore. going section, on what ground may legal restraints or regulation of the trafic in fluids which may produce in. The only answer seems this, substan. tialIy: On the ground that the abuse of the traffic Is harmful to the public and to individuals? If this trahic was no more subject to objection than ii that In fee cream or soda water, nc more occasion for prevention or regu- lation of the trade in alcoholic stimu- lants would exist than exists for in. terfering with the sale of soda water or ice cream.
 Necessarflys tnls question touoWs that which has been asked: To what extent may legal restraint be exercis- ed? The suitable answer seems to be To whatever extent is necessary for prevention of evils from the abuse men, toned. even to that of total prohibit ton of the traffic, provided no tres pass is made on individual rights for example. the right of obtaining a proper stimuiant for medicinal use.
 Here we reach or raise another ques- tion: How should restraint or regu- iation be exercised? This question Gin substaneel is of long existence. Va rious answers have been given by philanthropists and statesmen. and yet the question persists. This fact justities the understanding that any plan which can be- tried would be an experiment. All people who wish well tn the State should desire that the right and best course shall be chosen. Ultimate and permanent prevention of the abuse under consideration can only be accomplished by the conquest of selhshness. avarice. and inordinate appetite, and the development of self control. The present tperhaps finaij means for these achievements are in- struction and persuasion at home. in school, in Sunday School, from the pulpit, by the press, and in social, commercial and industrial life. Do- mingo fraustino sarmiento. wbo. from
 
 tina tnentioned as "a nation whose code has been called the most liberal and democratic in America. if not in all the world.'Sl and was known as rs.sS sss tSs view ss saia ula S nags ss revolutions win cease" Uneeasing and faithful use of the means named --together with noble examples to the bring cessation of evils caused or occasioned by the abuse of the trafiic heretofore mentioned, ano of other evils.
 In the proposed amendment a plan IS presented for adoption or rejection Voters have occasion to answer this question: Is the adoption of the amendment advisable? As one who IS to vote in the approaching election. and exercising all candor. must an- swer, No. My reasons for the answer are partly represented by the follow ing objections which. besides others. have been presented for public consid- eration:
 ~ First. Adoption of the amendment would be serious trespass on individ-
 Second. The amendment would re- strict the sale of Q stimuiant. for use. to alcohol. by which ] understand alcohol in the pure or crude form. Certain laws passed by the Legislature at It's late session in dicate this meaning. In my Judgment. this objection alone should be fatal to the amendment.
 mandate to the Supreme Court as to the courts construction of the Consti- tuition, relative to the storing or Keeping of liduors.
 Fifth. The amendment would en- power the Legislature to provide for the invasion of homes. In the search for liauors. and to prescribe penalty in case liauor. in any quantity shouia be found.
 Lawyers differ as to the meaning or force of some or each of the parts of the amendment to which the pre- ceding objections apply. At any time ordinary prudence would suggest that the amendment should be understood literally and according to the usual meanings of its words. Variant opin- ions of attorneys furnish special reason for the exercise of care in the study of the amendment. while the rigor of prohibitory laws passed by the Legislature which proposed the and the vigorous efforts to compass the adoption of the amend ment. should warn voters that the ra- tional and just course would be to uns derstaud the amendment according to the strictest construction of which 1t is susceptible. Relative to possible dan ger to homes. people should always De mindful that. in different regards. the home con not be too vigilantly guarded; and that vigilance should be exercised, whether the home Is man. sion or a cottage. a double-roomed Iog-house or q lnwly cabin.
 In this connection lesson of grave Import respecting the amendment in its entirety. and laws which might be passed in pursuance of the amendment, should be needed. Moderation hasn't been the rule with those who have ac- quired power after a severe struggle or who consider themselves entrenched in power. Did this trait prevail in