The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-17

'Four years ago those opposing the depredations of the saloon and wishing re- lief from its distressing evils organized the Anti-Saloon league in this state to secure for its people path in the pursuit of temperance free from the stumbling block of the saloon. After vigorous ana active campaign legislature and gov ernor in sympathy with the purpose or this movement were elected and local option bill passed, giving to the people of each county the power of initiative ana referendum in the matter of the sale or intoxicating beverages. Immediately many counties proceeded to invoke the priv ileges of the law, and county after county expelled the saloon under Its provisions by overwhelming majorities. It soon be- came clear that the people of the state as a commonwealth wished to eject the saloon from the entire state, and the leg islature being in special session passed statutes to this end, becoming effective January 1, 1909. These statutes have been strengthened by further enactments Tn the more recent extra session. and we now have prohibition secured by law so far as statutory provision can secure It, and the blessings of that policy are ap- parent and confessed by the people, ln- clndine many of those who fought 1t bit terlv when 1t was In process of being en- acted. i
 "so long as there reposes in the leslsla7 ture power to exempt any part or the state from the operation of these prohl- bition statutes, so long will the saloon l'l-. terest besiege our legislators to procure such exemptions for the reintroduction or the saloon in cities and other places where the whisky business will be remunerauVe
 "At present the only bar to the return of the saloon is the ceaseless watch ana guarding of the prohibitionists over the political changes in the government; put if is ne;ther creditable to the state nor just to it's citizens to expect the puplic interests to be guarded by private ei- fort and at individual expense It IS ! inc duty of the state to protect these 1 statutes from the threatening attitude or ! this organized interest by taking away us standing before the legislature. II IS therefore wise for the people to recall 'o themselves the power to reinstate tne saloon and it's substitutes by an amend nent to the constitution, forever making the reintroduction of the policy or the sa- loon impossible except by a reference to the people. Hence at the last extra ses- sion of the legislature an amendment looking to this end was supihleleo to '"o people as follows:
 IA rtiele xix Sec. l. The manufacture sale and keeping for sale of alcoholic and malt liquors and other intoxicating beverages shall be forever prohibited Tn this state, but alcohol may be sold TOT medical. scientific and mechanical pur- poses. and wine for sacramental purpose under such regulations as the legislature may have prescribed or may hereafter prescribe
 Sec. 2. Nothing in the constitution of Alabama shall be construed to prevent the legislature under police power from designating places where such liquors may not be stored or kept
 "The adoption of this amendment will forever take away from the saloon inter est the incentive to impair or repeal the prohbitory statutes. The interests of the people in the premises are best protected and conserved when in their own keeping and beyond the power of political trades and plots: and this security is especially valuable when the laws are openly threat ened by conspirators as in this case. These conspirators against the statutes know that the amendment means their complete defeat, and hence they are put ting forth every effort to prevent it's adoption. So long as the statutes are not entrenched behind such a constitu- tional provision they are open to assault; but once the legislature has been deprived of power to reinstate the policy of the sa- loon in it's many forms the besieging of ba apic clott bal will ha The amendment has been drawn and ap- proved by the best legal talent in the state, and we have every assurance that it will accomplish the end In view and work only good to the common veal
 Therefore. be 1t resolved by the repre- sentatives of the temperance forces of Alabama:
 T. We approve the prohibition laws of Alabama and shall continue our efforts to have them enforced.
 "2. The people of Alabama having suf- fered under the domination of the saloon for many years and having experienced relief and blessings under the regime of prohibition, are overwhelmingly in favor of the latter as the policy of the state in dealing with the liquor traffic.
 "3. The continued activity of the whis- ky element in political affairs, after tho emphatic expression of the will of the people in favor of the elimination of thu saloon. can mean but one thing-the pur- pose to change the adopted policy of pro hbition by the state; and that this IS the ultimate end had in view by the large majority of those opposing the adoption of the constitutional amendment
 A. This pernicious and persistent ac tivity on the part of the whisky interest hiding behind spacious subterfuges and n1asqueradng under false guises, may be expected to continue until the people of the commonwealth, by emphatic action, put this whole matter beyond the reach and power of the lobbyist and the poiiti- cal manipulator. We do not mistrust the people of Alabama or their representa- tives, but we do declare that we are free from saloons and of right ought to be free from the constant and persistent solicitation and influence of the saloons and their friends to have them rein state
 ''5 Prohibition is not an experiment in Alabama, the will of the people In it's favor Is beyond question, and the time has come when, under a settled policy of inhibition against the liquor traffic, we should have relief from the strife tur- moil and bitterness that must follow, If the whisky interest is left to fight out the whole matter at the election of every legislature in the future. Until the pres ent statutes are fortified by the proposed amendment to the constitution, no effort will be spared by the saloon power to &C., complish their impairment and ultimate repeal.
 ''6 The desperate effort made to defeat