The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-29
7opers Of Opelika
 Get Their Drinks

i've mills. Otherwise they must halt in their improvements.
 : One of the leading aldermen said. for one, he would not allow the schools and fire department to suffer. He did not see. how the streets could be im- proved until something fundamental Is changed in taxation methods.
 Farmers who were interviewed Sat- urday charge many townspeople of wealth with being opposed to prohibi- tion because of selhshness. They de- clare that men of means in town, those who own great wealth throughout the county. would actually prefer to see certain of their fellows pay their taxes through the saloons and fall into the gutter than to see property pay in full the burdens of government. They do not believe in the country that any part of the government expense should be collected through the intemperance. or through the shortcomings, of any man. For this reason they condemn alike the high license system and the dispensary.
 It was argued by the dIspensary ad- vocate that 1t collected taxes from a class that never could be reached De- tore. The prohibitionist now comes forward to say that the saloon does the same. But they say also. such a tax should not be collected. Property should bear the burden.
 Some Loss of Trade.
 Probably the largest taxpayer in Lee County is an anti-prohibitionist He is merchant and head of many enterprises of the county. He says that prohibition was . failure when first tried in the county back in the eighties and he does not expect any thing better from 1t today. He ex- presses the belief that the city of Ope- lika has suffered already. He believes with a few other merchants that trade which used to come to Opelika comes here no longer. Some of this trade, 1t Is said. stops at smaller places to be satisfied whereas it once came on through to the capital of Lee County.
 Some there are who declare they are suffering more from loss by fire than when saloons were here. Just what dre- lighting qualities saloon had no one can tell. The prohibitionist de- clares that 1t kept men up late at night and thereby gave them an oppor- tunity to fight the flames. True, there have been lot of fires in Opelika since prohibition went into effect, but there is no more argument against 1t from this source than there is for 1t In the statements of talking-machine agents. They tell of increased sales since pro- hibition started. Their reason Is that men drink less. they talk less; assum- ing that there Is a certain demand for talk and whiskey is a conversation lu- bricant, the talking machine comes in to supply the want.
 Judge J. F. Barnett, of the Lee County Law and Equity Court, be- lieves that juries are here disposed to convict for violating the prohibition law. They have already found some of them guilty. The great trouble is In getting the presentments. It is also the opinion of Judge Barnett that pro- htbition has checked crime in the city and in the country. He at least testi- fies to a smaller docket than durin 6 wet" times. Especially has there been a decrease in those offenses which are more or less traceable to strong drink. This is taken as an evidence of less consumption of whiskey.