The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-09
AN ANSWER TO
 THE EXPLALNERS
Ne. Pt1lans Clteu the Drastic Prcvis- seas ef the Present Law, Which
 C0mef MAnts Ignored.
Ts the Editor ot The Register: :,

~ tue Euttor Ot The hegister'
 proposed constitutional amendment ar rogate to themselves the sole and ex- clusfve possession of all the virtues their crusade en i, W Would ahiSe seem to be only just and fair for the rnouthpieces or tne teetotni amendment party to pe frank n their dealings with the people Roach in his letter of rebuke to you assumes the tone of one who udife ap. proves of the acquisition Of wines ana mat mat. or spirituous liquor by the @ ina. and who with his party would do noth- ing to interfere with that, and yet we know that the packers of this move- ment throughout the Union have al- ready long since commenced a cam paign to constrain or persuade the Con- gress of the United States to make the carrying of these things from one State to another in interstate com merce. an onense against Federal law; In other words. that they have not stopped at State prohibition. but pro- final and Sniyersal mi @ 'te teetotniism. This being the apparent motive of these people. how absurd Is It to af- feet that the second clause of amend ment to the Constitution proposed by them is not intended. whether inc tended or not. would not be used as the Foundation for further legislation laws of Alabama for a parent to have within his sideboard a bottle Of sherry wine for administration to his feeble or sick child.
 Thl extremity to which these people will -, Is illustrated by the length to which they have already gone.
 Is 1t known to the people of Ala lature has made 1t a penal oirense for physician to administer or a druggist to furnish upon prescription for one even in the shadow of death. any wine, Az AaA -d..
 As Major Erwin points out in his ad- mirable letter published this morning. this at once prevents the lawful ad- ,ni,nistration na,1ns & to patient lying III Of and notably of champagne. the favor ite stimulant of the faculty in these cases after the fever goes ofs It for bids the administration in any practical form of sherry or port wine, the favor ite basis of tonics administered to an- aemic women and other weak persons.
 But of course the intemperate adso, have misstated the law as 1t exists. I therefore quote from the general pro. hibition act of November 2S, 1907. special % session Sion of 1907: So "e a''' 'i t'"e "section 3. That any retail druggist manner herein set out pure Alcohol cohol to chemists and bacteTiologists actually engaged in scientificfwork and for such purposes only, and WINE TO RELIGIOUS PURPOSES ONLY. provid- ed that nothing herein contained shall prevent such druggist from using AL CoHOL in the compromising of prescrip- which would not subject him to the payment of the special tax required of iiouor dealers by the United States. Provided, that regularly licensed and GRAIN Al, f,coHoL OR PURE ALCOHOL in quantities Of not more than one gall | lon at one time. from wholesale or re- compounding and dispensing remedies only" i
 The capitals are of course mine, and attention to the very distinct purpose | and declaration of the act that no | brandy or wine or other thing of its | hol."
 Again In Section { there Is a pro- vision that no sale of pure alcohol for | medicinal purposes shall be made ex- ing certificate by the physician:
 practicing physician under the laws oI have examined --Z-. :. a patient in my charge. and I do hereby prescribe for the use of said patient - of al- eonol, and and I further certify that the leviate or cure the illness or disease from which such patient is suffering"
 Again Section alludes to alcohol alone.
 Section airudes to alcohol exclu- sively, and only when we arrive at Section do we. find any aliusion 10 any forn of aicosslis sen.,oI liquor except out the spirit of Section 3. declares that it shall be unlawful to sell wine for sacramental purposes. except to a regularly organized religious congre- gation or church, etc. and that the person desiring 10 make such purchase shall sign written statement among other things the name of the church for which the wine Is purchased and that 1t is purchased in good faith to use for sacramental or religious pur- poses and no other.
 Thus 1t will be seen that these men have struck down so far as in their power lies, tho use of alcohol in med form and brutalIy delivered over the patient to pure alcohol alone, how of fensive soever 1t may prove 10 his sick palate in his enfeebled condition. 1 Now If the amendment carries what chance Is there for remedying such de- fects as I have pointed out in this let- ter, or improving the law in the line of temperance regulation? Could a recently afflicted the State in so many ways, suffer a physician to prescribe champagne 10 the yellow fever patien. | without running counter to the con stitutional amendment? No human de- vice IS perfect in the beginning. Some imperfections will doubtless hereafter | by the most rabid advocates of prohi- bition In the legislation that has been adopted. Are they really so blind In what seems to me their fanaticism a, 1 to so bind themselves hand and foot that they cannot recall what they have | done amiss?
 A very dear friend of mine who Is an advocate of the amendment was so shocked at my telling him of the pro
 visions Of the statute that I have drawn attention to above which force pure alcohol upon sick person re- quiring alcoholic stmulants lint he 1 went the length of denying the accu- racy of my reading or recollection and 1t is for such as he that I quote the statute in this letter. The Carmichael act of August of this year retains these clauses H. Pillans
 Mobile. Ala. Oct. 1. 1909.