The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-09
NOTE OF ALARM IS SENT FROM GADSDEN Best Enforcement of Prohibi-
 tion Laws in State SOMETHING IS WRONG Secretary W. R. Phillips of Business Mems Club Writes Interesting Ac-
 count of Problems Confront-
 ing Etowah County

To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 Etowah county is pointed to as one of the banner counties in enforcing our state prohibition laws. As a citizen of the county, I feel proud that we have gained such distinction, and that we are looked upon as lawabiding people, and that our officers are trying to do their duty in the enforcement of law and order.
 However, I want to say if other coun- ties in the state of Alabama are suffering as Etowah county is suffering from vio- lations of our prohibition laws, and from misdemeanors growing out of violations of the prohibition laws, they are to be pitied. It is a condition and not theory tbat eonfronts us, and the sooner our people realize it the better I hope 1t will be for them. There is no use in our shut ting our eyes to the true condition of af- fairs and lulling ourselves to sleep by the prohibition song. but as sensible. pro gressive people we should do something to remedy the evil.
 The criminal dockets of the courts of our county are filled with cases for violating the prohibition laws and for misdemean- ors growing out of such violations. The September term of the grand jury of the county returned 146 cases, before adjourn ing to again take up the work this month l served as juror in the criminal court week before last, and I was deeply i'm pressed with the idea that something would have to be done to relieve the pres ent stress of violations of the prohibition laws, or 1t will bankrupt our county. The great number of witnesses, men, wom- en and children, and the large number of jurors from week to week required to try these cases at the expense of the county is alarming. And no longer than yester- day, on the holy Sabbath day, Tom San som. preacher of the gospel of truth. took the life of his nephew Ike McCart- ney, by shooting him with a shotgun, from the evil effects of McCarney's being tanked up on blind tiger booze. It is re- ported that McCarney went to the house of his uncle. Tom Sansom, in a drunken, crazed condition, to kill Sansoms dog, which resulted in the loss of his own life- Being uncle and nephew and neighbors, living close together and Sansom a preacher. makes this indeed sad picture to behold.
 Statewide prohibition for Etowah
 
 the balance and found wanting. The railroads and express companies are dis pensing it to any and everybody regard less of quality or quantity. The character or mean quality of stuff that Is dealt out to men and women by the railroads and express companies. who run blind tigers. destroys the moral and physical manhood of our country Yea, more than that, II runs them crazy and destroys their earn fn, nd the crime or n1uT- der. Our federal government surely act ed wise in passing a pure food law TOT the conservation of the health of all our people. Our state should pass laws along the same line, looking to the conservation of the health of our people
 Some wholesome laws should pc passeo whether we are to continue statewide nrobibition or not, forbidding the railroad corporations and express companies from delivering any and every sort or poisoh- ous stuff called whisky to any and every bodv am persuaded that our federal government would gladly join hands With our state in looking to the conservatl2i of the health of our people. believeFa Ia u, shouid be passed requiring the trans notra ton compAnies, coming under the interstate commerce laws, to deliver oniy to properly authorized officials of the federal and stale government for inspec' tion all intoxicating beverages brought into the state of Alabama
 If the federal government will not Joii tbe state in this matter, our state and counties should look after 1t themselves Our county commissioners or a specia hoard should be created by law to emplo, one or more expert chemists to analizs inc intoxicating beverages shipped mt each county of the state to see una. !. !, n,re and wholesome, in order to opvlat' ;r no.sitle the destruction of the menta and physical manhood of our country.
 believe fin the divine injunction, that 1t Il hest to be temperate in all things. and
 am persuaded if our people would live ul U, to the divine injunction they would p' better of. more prosperous and happier
 De'' w. R. PHILIPS. sacretary Business Mems Club. | cadsden. November [. 1910.