The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-17
EMe Exheme and Resoluionary Than Any Change Sug-
 seaed Since the Pounding of Government

II IS but natural that on this ques- ton there should be a great division ol sentiment amongst so.ae classes of our population. There are always ex- elehlsts on both sides of any political question. but I thank God that extrem- ists are in the minority. and that the sreat body of conservative and intel- leent people of the State are largely in the majority. and I believe that we or that class will settle this question, and will settle 1t right. I do not be- iieVe that we can afford to allow this important question to be settled by iong-haired men and short-haired wo- men rom other States. or those who .oiioW tneir leadership, on the one nano; nor on tine other hand, is 1t question to be settled or that will be settled by dealers In liquor or those mat they control employ, or that fol- low after them.
 am not here to quarrel with any one. am not here to criticise any .nan or set of men. I will take if for saahted that even the extremists on 10th sides are sincere In their beliefs and honest in their Convictions. do protest, however. against the argu- inents and methods that have been used. II Is claimed by some that this IS question of choosing sides, and they would make 1t appear that the mes or division on this question are simply that those who believe in tenn perance and sobriety are in favor of tMs amendment to the Constitution, ana that those who oppose the amend
 neht are liquor men. Do not under stand me as criticising this ciassifca- want to suggest that, after this gen. erai div1sion into two classes, that you further classify. If you will do so. after leaving that class who con- scientfously believe that any effort however ill-advised. should always be masters of the science of Government. you VIII arrange into groups, the poli- licians, the agitators. the hypocrits. as sne rnarisees, the hired representatives oI oreweries. the sellers of liquor, the drinkers of liquor. and a great many others and you will then come down or should say, up--to another class or us who. having no interest on earth In this matter except the happiness. peace and welfare of the State. define our position fin brief somewhat as fol- lows:
 Drunkenness Is Immoral.
 we cannot conscientiously say that temperance is absolutely synonymous with total abstinence from all indulg- ence in intoxicants. We can with con- hdence teach by precept and by exam pie that drunkenness is immoral and sinful, that habitual use of iiquors is harmful to the health and is an ex- tremely risky habit for any one to ac- quire, but we cannot say to others, we VIII regulate your conduct in this mat ter by law, when we, as a matter of principle, would not be willing for our own follies to be punishable by law. Although we were doubtful of any last ing good coming from prohibition in larger cities and communities where temperance sentiment was not preya- lent enough to guarantee a sub stantiai obedience to the law, we were so disgusted with the con- duct and performance of the peo- pie engaged in the traffic that we re- mained quiet and said nothing against the enactment of what was known as the Statewide prohibition law, prohi- biting the manufacture and sale of liquors. This law, like every other law, was violated; not more, however, than many other laws. But the cir cumstances were such that their viola~ tion attracted public attention more It was realized then that prohibitfon liquor law differed by nature in many particulars from almost every other penal statute. in that CD The violation of the other statutes was per SC harm full to some one else, but a mere sale of liquor was not of itself harmful, but of itself might be innocent, and if not, was dependent upon the use made of the liquor by the party who bought 1t. (2) The violation of almost any other law inflicted injury on the person or property of the other party, who re- ported his grievance at once to the magistrate, attended as a witness and saw to 1t that the law was enforced. [. But a sale of liquor was different. The did not feel aggrived. but accommo- dated. Instead of reporting the mat ter to the courts. he was reluctant to even attend as a witness, and in many instances evaded process and in some absolutely perjured himself. Enforce ment of the law, therefore, was de- pendent upon the maintenance of a spy system by the sheriff and his dep- uties, for which no provision had ever been made or thought desirable in our system of government. or by self-con- stituted Law and order Leagues,
 Good Government Leagues" or "Anti- Saloon Leagues" who. however circum- spect in their own conduct. and how | ever good their motives, were in the position of interfering with something that did not directly concern them, and TO convictions to amount to anything were obtained. This state of affairs brought on an anomalous condition The liquor men taunted the pronibi'
 tionists that the law was failure.