The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-22
Colonel Barker of Mobile Dis
cuSses the Amendment
LAW is MOST TYRANNICAL
Personal Liberty Is AssaiIed, Declares
Colonel Barker, in the Attempt
To Foist the Amendment
Upon the Constitution.

Mobile, October 21-fSpecial.) Col P. d.
lican national committeeman, today issued
an address to the republican voters of
Alabama, in which he urges them to vote
against the constitutional amendment. In
the address Colonel Barker says:
'ssnis question ought not to be political
one, but it strikes at the rights of all
citizens alike and representing my party
in the highest political capacity feel a
keen interest in the result. We have the
most stringent prohibition bill on the stat
ute books ever written In any state. and
no matter whether the amendment is
adopted or rejected we will still have pro-
hibition. 1t must be for some other pur-
pose that the amendment Is sought and
I think If the cover of section 2 is raised
the purpose lie clear. The making of
wine for home or sacramental purposes Is
the purpose is clear. The making Of
harmless and has been practiced by the
best of people. Besides it does seem folly
to me to require a good Christian lady to
have her sacramental wines ordered from
without the state or force her TO do with
out. and in that case restrict the sacra-
mental privilege and violate a principle of
our general government.
Making of Wine.
'Is it possible that it is more harm for
an Alabama lady to make her wine for
this purpose from her berries than for her
to order 1t from another state? Then, If 1t
is. that is tantamount to saying that it
is harm to use it in the sacrament, which
| am certain will not be agreed to.
mo thinking man can deny thai section
Q is a direct thrust at personal liberty. It
cannot be anything else, because under
the Fuller law liquor Is prohibited from
being kept practically at all plaees mem
tionahle except at a residence. Then, II
section 2 does not intend to permit the
Legislature TO say liquor cannot ba aept az
a residence 1t is useless and ought not
to have been submitted.
s',rhe people should have as great per-
sonal liberty as is consistent with public
safety, and this should not be hampered
in the interest of any politician, no mat
ter for what office he aspires, and no mat
ter what party he belongs to.
This amendment is only police regu-
lation and has no place in the constitu-
ton, which only contains great principles
OF government on which all men are prac-
tically agreed and because our present
constitution contains some regulations Is
no argument in placing another one there
in, and II every fanatical idea Is written
in the constitution it will become crazy
quilt after a while.
Whisky AS Medicine.
II want to ask what is a man going to
do who lives miles removed from drug
store when his family needs a prescriptio
calling for whisky or brandy in cases Of
sickness? There are vast sections in the
state in which no drug store is located
If this amendment Is passed the man In
the country is placed in a most embar-
RAISING position.
"The granting of this amendment will
make 1t possible for an over-zealous Of
ficer to be more tyrannical In Alabama
sian home. No home viii be safe from
search. Wives and daughters will be hu-
inflated by searching parties and anyone
with animosity toward his neighbor can
have his home invaded. 1t is wrong, and
once adopted there's no telling how far it
can be carried
IF the people are asleep on this mat
ter they had better wake up now.
have every confidence in the people of the
state and especially have I confidence in
the republicans of Alabama rising up as
one man and standing solidly for their
personal liberties and against this consti-
tutional amendment"
Colonel Barker said tonight that he was
satisfied from correspondence that has
reached him from various portions of the
state that 80 per cent of the republican
vote In Alabama will be cast against the
amendment.