The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-06
THE RESULT IN ALABAMA


gave the discouraged rummies new hone
and turned into reluctant allies. at least
for the time being and against the mon
strous amendment. many and many a So
Der man, who had been their enemy. The
amendment was beaten, and by big
majority, and unless the facts in the case
can be made thoroughly understood, the
evilest influence In political and social
life will take new heart. In reality, tenn
or even prohibition, as hitherto known.
An unreasoning and ruthless fanaticism
is what the state repudiated and did we'll
to repudiate.
Pttsburg Dispatch: It was the first
time the voters of the state had the OPP
portunity to vote directly on the issue.
The defeat of the amendment will, of
course. be followed by campaign for the
repeal of the Fuller law. The result
seems to indicate that while Alabama
may be for prohibition for the other fell
fow 1t bankers for the privilege Of per-
sonal choice. The most obvious conclu-
sion is that the state is for local option
or even a prohibition law of moderate
force, like those of other states, but is
not ready for the drastic measures pro-
posed by the radicals. who by their ex-
IRENE course have now imperiled the
progress they had won.
Knoxville Sentinel: Tho defeat of the
prohibition amendment in Alabama is not
surprising to people who have kept up
with the politics of that state. The tenn
perance forces were not united Some
who upheld the temperance side of the
argument at heart did not look with ia .
yor upon the proposition to put statute
law into the constitution. Politics cut
some figure In the result also. With the
temperance forces not we'll organized and
the liquor forces making an aggressive
fight with a compact organization and
plenty of money, 1t Is not in the least sur
prising that the amendment failed AS
we remarked yesterday, great many
temperance people in Alabama and else
whore believed that the leaders in that
state were going little too fast in their
efforts for constitutional amendment.
1t would have been the wiser course for
them to have exerted their efforts to
enforce the laws already enacted.
Memphis Commercial-Appeal Legis-
lation can help the cause of tenn
perance, but all the legislation in the uni
verse can not make people temperate.
There are middle grounds in the work of
promotion of temperance that all law
loving people can meet upon.
to abolish the saloon ought to have the
right to so declare, but If community
feels that the saloon can not be abolished
SUCCESSFULLY, and that 1t is better to regu-
late saloons rather than to drive them
out and bring In the blind tigers and the
bootleggers, that community should have
the right to have its wishes put into the
law.
The crimes and the sea aszls of blind
tigering in Birmingham. Montgomery and
Mobile were disgusting.
1t would be far better for these cities
to control the liquor traffic in a GER
tain district. to regulate 1t. to close the
places on Sunday and to make liquor,
through high license. pay the state for
the material damage 1t may do.
Then, indeed, If the prohibitionist
wants to continue, let him pursue a
campaign of trying to show the individ-
ual that liquor is bad thing for him,
and that he would be better off If he
did not use 1t at ALL
The victory of the anti-amendment
forces in Alabama is also rebuke to
that spirit of anarchy and confscation
that the majority of the Alabama poll
ticians fostered when they proceeded,
through laws. to pass acts to rob invest
ments of a fair return on the money,
to deprive property of it's earning ca
pacity, and to annhilate other property
by outlawing the things the property
created.
This spirit of spoliation is entirely for
eign to the southern states. 1t has come
among US like growth of johnson grass
or like some animal pest from another
region.
The southern people are democratic.
The old democracy recognizes the right
of property, and the right of every man
to his personal liberty.
More. the democracy grants to every
man the right to enjoy the fruits of his
honest toilf the democracy guarantees to
all men the enjoyment of these things
which they create through their honest
labor.
That Is the spirit of true democracy.
ana that was the spirit of the south,
and that was the spirit of the people
Of Alabama-the plain people-when shey
declared against this crop of political
and brainless upstairs, who have tried to
lead them away from these old doctrines.