The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-26

personal liberty ana an enemy OF the
democracy.
Prohibition laws of the sort imposed
upon Alabama are simply intolerable, and
Virginia and Maryland have recently re-
jected Anti-Saloon league propositions
seeking to put those states in the state
wide prohibition column. A year ago II
might have been different in Virginia.
The Anti-Saloon league was getting a
strong grip on the Old Dominion; but
drawing a lesson from Alabama's unhappy
condition under the Carmichael and the
Fuller acts the democratic legislature of
virginia voted down by decisive ma
jorities all of the Anti-Saloon league bills.
A year ago Florida seemed ready to
adopt statewide prohibition and write pro-
hibitior in the organic law. prohibition
amendment to the constitution of Florida
has DCCn pcilulH5 lOI q yCdI VI o 1llu
is to be voted on next November. Ever
since the defeat of the obnoxious amend
ment in Alabama last November the pro-
posed amendment in Florida has been
doomed Its defeat is now foregone con-
clusion. The people of Missouri are soon
to vote on the question of statewide pro-
hibition, but according to reliable infor-
nation the "drys" will be defeated. With
in the past three months many elections
have been held in northern towns to de-
eide on the question of license or no Ii
cense, and in nearly every case the
vets have won. Several towns that
had voted dry two years ago are now
in the wet" column.
Right thinking men deplore the abuse
of liquor, and will be ready at all times
to cooperate with practical friends Of
temperance to stop this abuse and to
minimize the evils of intemperance. But
statutory prohibition is wrong in principle
and it is miserable failure in practice,
and in the nature of things will always
be failure unless public sentiment is
strongly In favor of enforcing the laws.
Look at certain sections of Alabama and
see what a farce prohibition is Law is
law and all laws on the statute
books should be respected and obeyed.
But history invariably repeats itself in
the matter of sumptuary legislation and
men of observation and worldly wisdom
are not surprised, therefore, to see an
Illegal liquor traffic nourishing in Ala
bama-
Local option is the true democratic doc
trine. 1t is fair and it is workable. OF
the 81 counties In Alabama very few of
them will ever be in favor of having sa-
Icons or even dispensaries within their
borders. But If it is thought that cities
and counties of large population and am
pie police protection, which now reek with
blind tigers, would be better off morally
and commercially with a dispensarv or
other restricted method of supplying a.
reasonable demand for beer and wine. to
say nothing Of other drinkables, there
should be some way for the majority of
the voters to decide the matter, Local
option is the thing. Under the local op-
tior system counties where public senti-
ment is against the liquor traffic keen
out that traffic; and counties where public
sentiment favors high license and regu-
lation or the dispensary, vote wet
Statewide prohibition in Alabama has
had as fair trial as it can ever have.
The reaction against it is unmstakable.
But the spirit of the amendment fingers
among the fanatics and ultra prohibitions
lists. although in a decided minority, will
trade or resort to almost any political
tactics, in order to slip in champions of
the Fuller law. There can hardly be anv
doubt but that the next legislature will
be composed chiefly of broad-minded
men and that the majority will be opposed
to allowing the prohibition laws to re.
main unchanged; but it behooves liberal
minded voters TO be alert and vote IN,
level-headed and we'll disposed candi.
dates. Beware of the wires and the wire.
pullings of the Anti-Saloon league