The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-21
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.


| Reputation of Statewide Prohibition
To the Editor of the Age-Herald:
The letter in today's Age-Herald signed
| by R. NJ Goodall and P. c. Ratliff far
from being an answer to my charge that
the Ant-Saloon league Is evidently seek
| ing to stampede" the next legislature
into retaining the statewide prohibition
law, is rather plea of confession and
| avoidance" Notwithstanding the state
ment issued June 10, 1910, by the Anti
Saloon league and which Messrs. Goodall
and Ratliff Incorporated into and made
| the main part of their communication es-
pecially in view of the interview with
Brooks Lawrence printed in an evening
paper on Thursday.
A mere bubble over words the mere
| announcement of candidates before enter
| ing upon the gubernatorial race that they
stood upon certain plank of certain
| platform, (Which was not a platform
adopted at a regular convention of any
party, cannot befog or change the fact
that vast majority Of those who voted
for Colonel ONeal favored the repeal OF
state wide prohibition and the adoption OF
a local option law, while the great major
ity of those who voted for Mr.. Mallory
favored the retention Of statewide prohi-
bition, although it is true that quite a
number who had opposed the proposed
constitutional amendment, mostly for
purely personal reasons, however sup
ported the candidacy Of Mr.. Mallory
AS q clear indication Of Colonel O'Neal S
position will quote from the Anti-Saloon
f..o cto Of luna tubi &c
was furnished the Age-Herald by Messrs
Goodall and Ratliff must be accepted as
official:
| In answering a letter of inquiry from
Mr. Spragins in the closing days of the
campaign, as to what would be his action
elected governor and the legislature
should pass a dispensary law for Madi-
son county, Mr.. ONeal replied that he
would sign such bill If the legislature
passed it,
This statement was made before the
date of the primary election, was widely
circulated and therefore known or ought
70 have been known by every democratic
voter In Alabama, and yet Colonel O'Neal
vas elected by majority exceeding
1900
II is true. howeved as stated in the
Anti-Saloon leagues statement of June
49, that he Colonel O'NeaD did not state
that he would favor or work for such a
bill. nor did he anywhere or at any time
ieclare he favored or would work for
the repeal of the statewide prohibition
!aw by the incoming legislature Neither
lid he state that he would oppose or work
against such repeal. AS l understood and
understand his position his attitude would
be that of "hands Off" that he would
leave that question to be decided by the
legislators themselves and that he would
neither undertake or attempt to dictate
to them, or control them, or coerce them
In any manner whatsoever. He simply
gave the people of Alabama to UNDERSTAND
that he would sign any bill which In the
exercise of their own free and untram-
meled Judgment the majority might see
proper to pass. The voters or ALABAMA
SO understood him, and as have already
stated he was nominated for governor
by a majority in excess of 1900.
But the Anti-Saloon league In IT'S
statement of June Is, and Messrs
Goodall and Ratliff in their lame re-
ply to my communication, either over
look or wilfully ignore the fact that
in the primary election of May p 1910
in which colonel O'Neal, w. ID. Seed
and others were chosen as democratic
candidates., there were elected dele
gates to the democratic state con-
yention and that when these delegates
met in Montgomery on May II a great
majority of them voted local option
plank INTO the platform adopted and
upon which each and every nominee