The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-02
OPPOSITION IS THE SENTIMENT Assurances From Many
 Quarters. AMENDMENTS ROCKY ROAD Governors Favorite Measure Being
 Widely Discussed. Headquarters of Safe and Sane League DeIuged With Communications
 Expressing views Contrary
 to Comer's Hopes.

"The most encouraging feature of this campaign Is the great mass of voluntary workers for the cause. Ev- cry day brings letters to our office de- claring against the amendment and asking for literature to distribute among their neighbors. The cry of the advocates of the amendment that 1t is whiskey and anti -whiskey fight is the hollow argument of despair"
 These are the words of Leon McCord, Secretary of the Safe and Sane League, as he opened the high stack of letters yesterday. 1t vas a busy day at the League headquarters in the Bell build ing, being marked by a steady stream Of callers from out of town. Eacn brought the informa tion that the strength of the opposition to consti- tutional prohibition was growing in their respective counties. Each de- clared that the pro-amendment side will have to put down the claim that on one side was the whiskey element and on the other side the good" peo- pie of Alabama.
 'The men that are lined up against the amendment" continued MT. Mo- Cord. speak for themselves in the re- spective communities in which they live. They need no defence when the fanatical charge is made that they are influenced by any but patriotic motives in this greatest fight of two decades. We all remember that when honorable men advocated the dispensary in this State and honorable men were opposed to IL on high moral grounds, there were extremists to point scornfuIly at the opponents of he dispensary and charge them with being lined up with the saloon men.
 The fact that some whiskey men may be on the side of the nti-amend- ment will not cause the independent and patriotic voters of Alabama to ground their arms in this fight. Why, look at the letter of President McEl- derry. of the State Bankers Associa- tion, in yesterdays Advertiser. Does he not prove that there is an economic side to this great question? Does he not point out the hostile attitude of Alabama to capital and labor in enact ing unprecedented laws for the reguia- ton of the morals of this State?
 "He declares that 1t is the purpose of banks to be the arbitrators between capital and labor, and that their efforts are hindered by the psssage of statutes which actually endanger the liberty of an innocent laborer. And because they could not so farther in the oppression at the extra sesSiCn, the majority in the Legislature now propose to change the constitution of Alabama so as to legalize the arbitrary search of any mans home. The amendment means nothing more nor less than that and it Is proposition that the amendment advocates will have to answer fully before this campaign ends instead of ousy1ng the mouths of their speakers with babbling tales of whiskey as if It were only a question of prohibition itself"
 Lawyers who have read the recent statement of MT. Weakley as to the force of the proposed amendment take issue in part with his view of the bill which submitted the question to the voters. They declare that there is nothing in the amendment of a self executing nature. It only declares the policy of the State for prohibition.
 There IS nothing therein." said a lawyer. (which makes 1t mandatory on the Legislature to pass prohibition laws or contin q on the books such statutes as haVc been passed. In this connection I would like to call atten- ton to the Maine amendment as 1t now stands. It says, among other things. The Legislature shall enact laws with suitable penalties for the suppression or the manufacture, sale and keeping for sale of intoxicating liquors with the exceptions herein specified
 It IS urged by the opponents of the amendment in Alabama that this can not be used to sustain the argument that prohibition in the constitution will stop agitation. It is declared by these lawyers that 1t would leave the ques- tion just as much open for agitation as ever. while the really objectionable and dangerous feature of the amendment. they say, is in Section ,. which win re- suit in giving the Legislature author ity to prevent anyone Keeping for his own use liquors of certain kinds In his own home