The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
LOCAL OPTION FOR ALABAMA

From the Holston Post.
 The Alabama senate has passed the To- cal option bill and just as soon as Gov ernor O'Neal affixes his approval state wide prohibition makes way for local self government Alabama has had sad ex- perience with statewide prohibition. For several years the state has been in con stant turmoil and tumult In the larger towns and cities, the whisky traffic four ished. Bookkeeping was a common vice throughout the state. Blind tigers existed hv the hundreds. It was clear that or derly regulation had been laid aside for lawlessness and crime.
 Then the Conner legislature and the Conner laws were tried. In order to sup press lawless liquor traffic almost every vestige of personal rights was trampled under foot. The spy system was adopted along with search and seizure. Homes were ruthlessly and lawlessly invaded by armed men searching for liquor. De- fenseless women were compelled to leave their beds at midnight. while armed ruff fans searched trunks and boxes for hid den liquor Outrages were perpetrated that citizens would have been justified in resenting with shotguns.
 Emboldened by what they regarded as their success. the prohibitionists tried to write their tyranny in the constitution Then the people commenced to think and the more they thought the more weary they became of the outrages that were be-
 ing perpetrated in the name of virtue and temperance and the clearer they saw the peril of perpetuating such conditions by writing prohibition in the constitution.
 They voted down the constitutional amendment by a large majority and shortly after a brave man made the race for governor on local option platform He was nominated and elected along with a local option legislature, and now Ala bama will soon have local self-govern- ment once more and the tyranny of Co., merism will become a thing of the past
 We must not overlook such lesson as Alabama affords. Here in Texas we are confronted by a similar peril If prohibit ton shall ever be written in our constl- tuition. mere majority will never be able to get it out. For more than 90 years Maine has wanted a vote on the prohibit tioH QucSeioi' Dbe biiSJ ii"'c oSNi "'Ae'S-o to get it until through the excessive hy- pocr,sy and tyranny of the Sturgis act there was an uprising among the people and victory was won for popular gov ernment
 The people of Texas would rue the Nday when they parted with the constitutional right to deal with the liquor traffic &C., cording as experience and conditions die tate. The failure of statewide prohibition has resulted wherever it has been tried. It has never stopped the liquor traffic, it has not appreciably lessened drunkenness, it has never accomplished anything but evil It has increased lawlessness, it has filled the people with hate and bitterness toward each other. it has made hypocrites bv the tens of thousands and it has seri ouslv interfered with the work of the church.
 The people of Texas under present laws can deal effectively with the liquor traffic. Under the system of statewide which misguided men would inf1ict upon the state we would have either a lawless liquor traffic or a reign of tyranny that would destroy the most sacred guaran- ties of the bill of rights.