The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-24
1. G, SMITH SPEAKS
 AT TUSCALOOSA Makes a Strong Argument Against the Amendment HE CRITlCISES NEAKLEY Declares That Author of Prohibition Laws Is Inconsistent in His Ar
 guments for the Amendment.
 Goes Off Half-cocked.
HE CRITlCISES NEAKLEY

Tuscaloosa, October 28.-( (speciaL)-A. G. Smith Of Birmingham was the principal l speaker before a large crowd here today in opposition to the constitutional amend- ment MT. Smith stated that Syd Bowie had been advertised to speak here today ] but it was impossible for him to come, and had requested him to take his place, i that he was glad to do so, as he felt 1 he would meet great many of his old time friends whom he knew in Tuscaloosa i county and in the second place he was earnest in his advocacy of the question which was to be discussed, and that he thought the question itself was one of the most important that had been before the people for many years in this state. He then explained his position in the l matter by saying thtt he was not here f9f tae ? :pose of oppoS4u.; prohibition or Of eriucising the prohibition laws; that he thought prohibition had done good, and that as long as the laws were on the statute books they should be regarded and obeyed by every good citizen. He said that he planted himself upon the resolutions which were passed by the Montgomery conferences that it had been said that the question before the people now was one of saloon or no saloon, whisky or no whisky, but that this was untrue. He then read the resolutions of the Montgomery convention, and stated that they were written by E. K. Camp bell. as good a prohibitionist as there was in the state, that he himself had had some hand in assisting in the arranging of them; that they were signed by Gov ernor JelkS as chairman of the commit tee on resolutions. lie then stated that when he saw such men as Dr. Wyman, Dr. Richardson, Frank s. Moody, Cover nor Oates, Governor Kolb, Governor Jelks end Governor Jones and others whose names he called, he did not feel alone, but felt that he was in mighty good company with and among some of the very best men in the state of Alabama.
 Laws on Prohibition.
 He then took up the laws in reference to prohibition, went somewhat into the history of prohibition laws in the state, cited the Carmichael bill, Fuller bill and retail beverage bill, and the law requiring sheriffs and solicitors to be active in the prosecution of violations of prohibition laws. He stated that Judge Weakley was the author of the Carmichael bill and the Fuller bill and other bills in reference to prohibition; that Judge Weakley was a fine man and friend of HIS, put that ne naQ only one IAulI and that was that he was nervous, impetuous and would sometimes go off half-cocked; that he first drew the Carmichael bill and not satisfied with that drew the Fnller bill, and then being afraid that somebody might get loose ne drew the retail beverage business bill and 70 clamp 1 the whole matter drew a law requiring i the sheriffs and solicitors to net and sub ject them to impeachment if they did not act.
 He went into the Carmichael and Fuller bills rather at length stating, however that he did not do this for the purpose of criticising, but simply for the purpose of letting the people know how stringent the laws in the state are now on prohibi- ton.
 He then took up the proposed amend ment and read both sections, and argued that the amendment would do no good, that there were no penalties in 1t, and that 1t would not assist in the enforce ment of the law of prohibition; that the law of prohibition already had behind 1t all the machinery and power of the sovereign state of Alabama, and that the amendment would not increase it's eff ciency or assist in it's enforcement
 Takes Up Section 2.
 He took up section ? of the proposed amendment especially and showed to the audience that if section 2 was enacted it would authorize the legislature to name