The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-19
THE ARID ZONE OF ALABAMA

From the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. In one respect the legislature of Ala
 bama has ecipsed the late legisla- 4 ture of Georgia. It has not been con tent to make a general tomfool of it. self as did the Cracker aggregation. It has had loftier ambition, and has at tempted a general readjustment of the principles upon which the American re- public was founded. The basic principle of English law has been the axiom that an accused person is innocent until his guilt is established. It Is not necessary for him to prove his innocence the prosecution must prove his guilt. This doctrine became part and parcel of American law and has justly been re- garded as bulwark of liberty and jus tice.
 No less than three bills have been in- troduced in the Alabama legislature to strike down this venerable doctrine. A bill making a federal license prima facie evidence that man is selling liquor and thus violating the law has been passed. Even if a man has license and has not sold any liquor, it. would be almost inn
 
 possession of a revolver was considered prima facie evidence that a man had shot somebody. how could he prove his inno- cence? His own testimony would be val ueless.
 A bill declaring that the presence of liquor anywhere except in mans home is evidence that he is violating the pro hibition laws also requires man to prove his innocence. Under this law he can't keep liquor in club, in his office, or in- deed anywhere but at his home. It is rather hard to understand why the re- formers stopped here and permitted the home-for which they are supposed to be fighting-to become the one repository of booze, thus making every mans home his saloon
 The third bill declares that a man is prima facie guilty of violating the law If he sells any liquor that looks, smells or tastes like an alcoholic liquor. Inasmuch as a milk shake looks like milk punch, ginger ale looks like a high ball, a seltzer lemonade looks like a gin rickey, and certain harmless malt drinks like malto and malt-nutrine resemble DOT
 
 less drinks may be indicted and required to prove his innocence.
 The freedom of the press is guaranteed by the constitution of the United States. This guarantees to a newspaper the right to nub,ish such advertisements as it sees fit. provided they are decent and do not fncite to crime or violation of the law. The immortal Fuller of Bibb has intro- duced a bill in the Alabama legislature that prohibits a newspaper from publish ing liouor dvertisements-clearly blow at the freedom of the press
 Tn order to fortiiy the prohibition law. ] a number of bills have been Introduced to deprive the citizen of his personal lib- erty. He can't take drink on a train' or in his club, or in his office. It has been supposed for several centuries that a man had right to eat and drink and wear what pleased him. The mighty brains in Alabama have decided that this | is an error. They have not only iawed | against the source of supply, but they have declared that if drink Is taken at a particular place 1t becomes an or | fense against the law. It is legal to take l Q drink at home in the bosom of the
 
 | family. It is Illegal to take 1t on car or anywhere else. for the presence or the ,iouor in your place of business IS, not proof that you are going to drink it, but l to sell 1t. . l In order to still further curtail the iip- | .r+v of the citizen, the wise Fuller or s,bb has secured the passage of law that permits offers to break open any n,ace ana raid 1t, if they think the law ;s heinr violated there. How would you ,,k. to be an officer charged with the as,ectah,e task? Yet another law makes all officers liable to impeachment that oo rot enforce all the prohibition laws.
 To still further curtail the hnerues or the defenseless citizen, piii mas been | introduced by the Hon. Socrates Inomp-