The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-01
JNwIsE. uNwARRAxTHD AND UNI \ NECESSARY,


 NECESSARY,
 The Goodwater Enterprise is happy and forcefui in its use of adjectives when it describes the proposed prohi- biticn amendment to the Constitution as "unwarranted. unwise and unneces- sary." There is . world of argument against the amendment wrapped up in those three adjectives. They cover the whole ground. They reveal the one purpose Of the amendment--a stalking horse for reckless politics
 Alabama in swift succession has pass ed from one state of agitation to an- other. First. we'll organized politi- cal machine equipped with ample funds stirred Alabama until local option bill, according to the plans and speci- fications of the Anti-Ssloon League, was passed. There was no serious ob- lection to this bill. although one or two sections of 1t was considered un- fair. But the platforms of the Dem ocratic Party both State and national declared for local option. and every body but the political prohibitionists were satisfied. They demanded then a Statewide prohibition law. in de- nance of the platform and as Alabama was suffering from state of hysteria. they got it
 No attempt was made to start g move ment to have the Statewide act re- pealed. because local optionists real ized that majority of the people wanted prohibition. Not single att tempt was made to repeal the State wide act. There was no agitation against the act.
 But political Mad Mullahs were in charge and they demanded more strife and more agitation. Strife and agita- tion they must have. or they perish politically. The Mad Mullahs beat the tom-toms, wept and called out in- cantations. And Alabama was given the most stringent and burdensome prohibition laws that State ever had. including the now famous 'Irullsr. Ticker Bill." which is a natural curi- osity. And still the Mad Mullahs and the whiriing Dervishes were not sat- isfied 'on to Constitutional prohI- bition." was the cry. Now 1t was necessary under the Constitution for an amendment to the Constitution to be voted on by the people. otherwise the people would never have had 8 chance to express themselves upon it. If such right had not been in the Constitution. the Legislature which re- fused the people vote on Statewide prohibition would have refused them a vote on the constitutional amendment. Aud. so. the most unique the most re- markabfe Legislature that the Demo- cratic Party ever sent to the Capitol plunged the State into the bitterest campaign of modern times on a pro- posed amendment to the Constitution which Is "unwarranted. unwise and 
 unnecessary"
 should the amendment carry. 1t will not strengthen a single weak place in any prohibition law Alabama has, It would not replace any prohibition law which may fall. It could not of itself punish a man, who might go boldly through Alabama selling liquor If there were no statutes such a man could not be touched by the law. It could not possibly enforce the law where the lawais violated
 In all the talk that the amendmen, calls forth there is nothing which sounds like an argument in it's favor except the specions claim that 1t will stop agitation. If some of It's present political advocates believed that. they would change front and fight the amendment to finish. No sensible or reasonable man believes that a consti- tutiopaI amendment will stop the agi- tation of the question. If a man should say in Maine that constitutional prohibition stops agitation he would he laughed at. The last campaign in Maine was waged around the proposi- ton to resubmit the prohibition amend ment to the voters of the State. The next campaign is already shaping and 1t is shaping around the proposition to again submit constitutional and statu- tory prohibition to the people.
 Men who claim that 1t will end agi- tation ,open 8 way to have their sim ceritY doubted.