The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-05
DECATUR IS HEAVY WITH DEPRESSION Result of Local Option Elec- tiOn a Severe Bio W ANALYSIS OF CAUSE Blind Tigers Were Formerly Licensed At 5000, But Officials Will
 Not Tolerate Them Since
 Election
ANALYSIS OF CAUSE
BY HUGH W. ROBERTS

suit of the recent liquor election in Mor- gan county. one could cut the depression in Decatur with case knife. The older of the twin cities, always conservative and always unwilling to run with an em- brace for new fangled ideas, voted in favor of the regulated saloon. The vote was more than to 1.
 New Decatur however, thought it did go in favor of the saloon, gave such small majority that the twin cities could not defeat the prohibitonists who ran rampant in Hartselle, Somervile and Falkville. The latter cities are rejoicing. New Decatur, the rival strengths of its forces being about equal, is apparently indiffer- ent. But conservative Decatur, to use a vulgar expression, is down in the mouth" with the world all about it dark and hopeless.
 Before the election, blind tigers oper- | ated openly in Decatur, each soft drink stand being licensed in the sum of 5000 annually. Of these soft drink" estab- lishments there were 13. AS a result, the city received a sum of money with which
 
 labor for the development of the people of 8 municipality. With remarkable con- sistency, certain officials, who tolerated the ''blnd tiger" prior to the election, will tolerate them no longer. Therefore, one by one they are going out of busi- ness. Decatur, on that account, is lit tie blue. Financial embarrassment looms up ahead. The city council is seriously disturbed as to what is necessary to be done. The people are dejected. And the local lodge of Elks, unable to maintain club room as result of the election, has surrendered it's quarters.
 Fatal "Still Hunt"
 When the situation is analysed, it does not seem strange that Morgan county voted itself a permanent berth in the prohibition column. From what can be gathered. the local optionists made no fight at all. They went on what they term a "still hunt They did not carry fire to the Greeks. They did not combat the ferocious campaigners in the cause of perpetual aridity. The local option speakers who have done good work in other counties of the state were not in- vited to participate in the Morgan county fight. On the other hand, the prohibition ists went from spot to spot until every foot of territory was covered. Lieut.. Gov. Walter D. Seed has the honor of having preserved the county's prohibition pro- clivities almost single handed.
 However. it is readily apparent that the sentiment of Morgan county is not in favor of prohibition. The people of Hart selle, for instance. gave large majority against the saloon not because they seri- ously objected to the sale of liquor in Decatur, but primarily because of their animosity to the traffic in their com munity. Some individuals of Hartsele have informed certain individuals of De- catur that Decatur can do what 1t pleases and that Hartselle, through jury CT otherwise, will not interfere.
 In connection with the situation in Nor gan, it is interesting to remember that
 in the last legislature Senator Sherrod of Lawrence whose senatorial district ln- cudes this county, introduced a bill pro- viding for local option election for the Decaturs., Just prior to the introduction of this bill, Senator Spragins of Hunts vile had introduced his pet bill providing for the establishment of dispensary in Huntsville without the vote of the people of that city. Senator Sherrod support ed the bill of Senator Spragins, and it went through the senate to later meet defeat in the house. But though the bill con- corning the Decaturs did not seek to es- tablish saloon or a dispensary in these cities until the people had expressed themselves at the polls, Senator Spragins did not support the bill of Senator Sher- rod. And the senate, which had passed one bill arbitrarily placing a dispensary in Huntsville. defeated bill which de- sired to submit to the people of the De- caturs the proposition of saloon versus prohibition"