The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-31
The Wets and Drys

Some persons who believe that the liquor traffic should not be Iegalized will vote straight-out prohibition on the 24th of August, but the majority of prohibi- tionists, I am told, will vote for a dis pensary system when they find that this county in sentiment is now overwhelm- ingly wet" said a prominent democrat who several years ago kept a saloon. Few men are better. able to judge of the liquor situation than I am. I came here a young man and have seen Bir- mingham grow from a small town to it's present metropolitan importance.
 Some of my friends tell me that they are no longer prohibitionists. but that they are going to vote for dispensary instead of saloon. Tn some counties and small towns the dispensary is doubtless a good thing, but nothing would be gained and much would be lost by hav- ing dispensaries in Birmingham. I con-' ducted high class bar. I sold only the very best of liquors. I did not look upon moderate drinking as sin, but l knew that drunkenness was iniquitous. I at- tended to my business closely and was conscious of being straightforward and honest in all my dealings. Men who were in the habit of drinking In moderation were always welcome, but those people who abused liquor were not wanted in my place. A man under the influence of liquor was always turned down when he asked for a drink. I never allowed a minor to come into my saloon, and never sold anything, liquor or tobacco, on a Sunday, although this town at the time was quite wide open from one years end 10 the other-all night and all Sun day. In other words, l was trying to run a model bar, and I did it, but I went broke; and now that l am doing pretty well in another line of business I will stay out of the liquor trade, but 1t will give me great pleasure to vote in favor of saloons because I think 1t will be for the best interests of Birmingham moral as well as financial.
 "Under the new regime the saloon bus mess will be on a much higher plane than
 it ever was before. The man who pays 5000 for license will be sure to run down the blind tiger and all other Illicit com- petitors. He will not be allowed to sell any liquors that are impure; he will have to close before midnight: he will have to keep closed tight on Sunday; he will have to be careful not to allow minors to come in and drink at his bar, and so on. These are strict regulations, and they will certainly minimize the evils that grow out of the whisky traffic But the man who has been stuffed with all sorts of one-sded arguments will say. Yes. the regulations are strict, but will they be carried out? I would be willing to stake anything on the proposition that the strict provisions of the law will be carried out. The excise commission has the power to enforce the law to the let ter, and. as everybody should know, the those who will compose the excise com- mission-the continuance of the new local option laws will depend entirely upon strict conformity to law on the part of those engaged In the liquor business
 When I kept a saloon and sold high class goods, for which I paid top prices, certain competitors were selling adulter- ated stuff. While I was closed on Sun days certain competitors had their big gest trade on Sunday. They got rich while failed. But under the Smith regula- tion law all the retail liquor dealers win be on the same footing. They will all have to act on the square and not one of them will be allowed to water his whisky"