The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-10

MT. E. W. Barrett, Birmingham, Ala.
 Dear Sir:-I was delegated by the sign CTS of the enclosed letter to deliver you a copy of the same. and request that you give the same space in your paper Yours very truly
 JOHN B. WEAKLEY.
 To the Editor of The Age Herald:
 In recent article in the Sunday Age Herald the editor invites a discussion of men and things in this city in plain Ian- guage, and taking advantage of the in- vitation thus extended the undersigned
 members of the Law and Order League Of Jefferson county, by the authority of the law enforcement committee of that body, desire to reply to your article in The Age-Herald of Sunday, November 22, 19OS over the signature of Ned Brace" The article refers to the opera tion and effect of the prohibition law in Birmingham, and in reply thereto we wish to submit the following:
 1, It is well known that brewers and distilers and their allies are making sys- tematlc efforts to produce the impression that prohibition is a failure in those To- calities where the policy prevails, and that it would be desirable to reinstate saloons, especially in the cities Such | articles as that of Med Brace gives them great joy and are liberally published in newspapers favorable to the traffic, especially in cities and towns where or ganized efforts are being made by the citizens to abolish saloons.
 ?. It is safe to say that, as a rule, those who write and speak In the interest of the saloons are now or have been con nected with the traffic or have derived, or do derive, or wish to derive. a reve- nue, directly or indirectly therefrom To this rule, we regret to say The Age Herald is no exception; the numerous ad- vertisements of intoxicating liquors and the pictures of whisky bottles, jugs and distilleries that appear daily and espe- cialy on Sundays, in its columns, are convincing proof that 1t finds it profit able to ally itself with the whisky power. The paper has recently expressed itself editorially against the use of cocaine and against the crime of selling that drug contrary to law. Would it, for the sake of gain, advertise cocaine in its columns and indicate to It's readers the names of dealers in other states from whom 1t might be ordered by mail? Yet where cocaine stays it's hundreds whisky, gin and other intoxicants slay their thou sands. It is as much a crime in Jeffer- son county to sell or otherwise dispose of the latter as 1t is the former.
 8. Prohibition was not forced on Bir- mingham any more than were the various other penal laws under which we are liv- ing, such as those against race track gambling and other. forms of the same crime, cocaine selling, lotteries, bucket shops, stealing and homicide. All of these were enacted by the legislature, the law making power of tine state, composed of representatives from all the counties. It is not required that every community in the state be consulted before the legisla- ture can enact a law to strike down a manifest evil. It happens, however, that so far as Jefferson county is concerned the people did speak, and in no uncertain tones. The majority of nearly 1900 against the further maintenance of saloons adds another sanction to the prohibitory liquor law, at least in so far as Jefferson county is concerned; and 1t is now the duty of every law abiding citizen to encourage and aid in it's enforcement.
 What we call with pride Greater Bir- mingham' gave a considerable majority against the continuance of the liquor