The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-02

the excessive use of liquor Is not a ques- tion of morality; it is one of habit And for one to declare that habit can be dis continued by mere legal demand for it's discontinuance-a demand incorporated in the laws of the state, uuenforced. repu- ! dlated-is a glarlng manifestation of his unacquaintance with the nature of man kind and the rules of common sense. You might as we'll attempt to prevent the spread of tuberculosis by proclalming that there shall be no more tuberculosis. Do anti-tuberculosls associations stop at pro- viding for incurable tuberculars, or even at treating those in their inceptive stages? Of course not. These form but small minority of beneficlaries. The anti-tu- berculosis crusade is a campaign of edu- cation. The whole people are being edu- cated to a higher realization of the po- tency and imperativeness of sanitation. This is the only solution of the liquor problem. Abstinence can only be effected through the slow but certain process of education, "Recognizing the utter failure of the prohibition laws to effect the claimed re- suits, the people of the state in the face of admonitions that they were again open Ing the door for the admission of the sa- loon, repudated in no uncertain nor equivocal fashion those laws by the cleo ton of an administration known to favor the repeal of prohibition, and advocat- ing sane regulation of the liquor traffic
 DarIrs ooI C,,.:th n;IIs
 Executing tbe wishes of the people the legislature enacted into laws two bills, one known as the Parks local option bill, the other as the Smith regulation bill.
 "The former submits to the qualified electors of each of the counties fin this state the question of whether or not the manufacture and sale of liquors shall be legalized therein; and whether or not such liquors shall be sold by dispensaries or by private dealers under a license In other words. wet or dry; if wet, dispen- sary or licensed saloon.
 ''The latter bill regulates the dispensary or licensed saloon in case either Is chosen.
 'rhe passage of these laws Is itself evil dence of the peoples dissatisfaction and repudiation of existing conditions and desire for 8 change. So, the remaining question is: Are we to choose the dispen- sary or the sale by private dealers under a license?s
 "The salient features of the law will be enumerated
 Let us first examine the dispensary system.
 'Eliminating for the moment the practi- cability of dispensaries, there are several fundamental observations to be made.
 '1. Dispensaries are nothing but saloons operated by municipality. Calling them dispensaries does not change their char acter. The dispensary system, then, in- wolves the government in the conduct of commercial enterprises, thereby stifing competition and creating a monopoly. For a municipality to engage Tn commerce Is violative of the very essence of govern ment.
 70. If the liquor traffic is an evil, dispen- saries stamp governmental approval upon evils. To say that the government justi- fies its interference by regulating an evil is indeed a spacious argument, and could be urged to excuse any position assumed by the government. On the same prn- ciple. why not municipal ownership of gambling houses and houses of ill-fame? Why not municipal sale of cocaine, cigars, cigarettes and tobacco? Why not have the government own and sell everything the excessive use of which is detrimental to health and life?
 g. There is absolutely no necessity for
 
 regulated by the people through the in- strumentaity of public officials. By whom are licensed saloons regulated? By the city through officials. How then, can the city have completer control over the traffic by actually engaging therein? What assurance have we that the city, directly, is more competent to cope with the situationo
 The Licensed Saloon
 'If the people vote for the return of the licensed saloon the law confers upon them such visitoral and plenary powers as 10 place such saloons entirely under their supervision and controls
 Birmingham would be entitled to 70 sa- looms, IA social clubs authorized to sell liquor as we'll as brewerles and agents of foreign breweries.
 "These saloons are to be strictly regu- lated, rigidly supervised and wholly con- trolled by an excise commission of three members appointed by the governor for a term of two years.
 '"fhe retail dealers license is SS000 per annum. clubs s3O0 wholesale dealers $500, breweries $500 and agents of foreign breweries $500. Of this revenue 65 per cent enures to the city % per cent to the county and 10 per cent to the state.
 Qualifications of Applicants
 ''The provisions as to the qualifications of applicants for licenses are most strin- gent.
 'No license to sell or manufacture liquor can be granted in any case unless the ap- plicant shall have first produced to the excise commission a recommendation in writing signed by 20 householders and freeholders who are qualified electors of the city or town in which the applicant proposes to engage in such sale or manu-