The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-05
WITH THOSE WHOLABOR
IN THE LORD'SFVINEYARD
BY d. ". FRANCIS

New York. Tebriary 4.-(Special.)-
The election of q number OF anti-pro-
hibition governors an the south at the
last election has led to the belief that
there is a reaction against prohibition
in that section of the country. In order
to find how the prohibitionists viewed
the situation had a talk on the subject
with Rev. DR.. Ferdinand c. Iglehart
one of the most active leaders of the
anti-saloon movement in. the country
DR.. Iglehart says:-
THE papers announce that most of
the southern governors in their mess
ages have come. out against prohibition
and are In favor OF local option and the
liquor people are fairly shouting with
delight. In the conflict between the
church and the saloon for the past doz-
en- years, thes brewers and distillers
have claimed victories everytime. They
have loudly proclaimed a reaction in.
the south, but. all the while, the saloon
has been reacted out of two-thirds of
the geographical territory and from
five-sixths of the population of the
southern states
I'm his message Governor ONeal of
Alabama opposes statewide prohibition
and stands for local option. The people
declared against the constitutional pro-
hfbition at the polls about year ago,
partly because the state already had
one of the best statutory prohibition
laws in the United States. 1t is not GER
tain that the new Legislature will take
the advice offered by Governor O'Neal
and repeal the present law. If it should
do So the liquor men would have small
reason for comfort as local option
which the enemies of temperance count
such a boon has accomplished the task
of abolishing the saloon almost every
where north and south.
Governor Blease of North Carolina
also favors local option. Local option
has driven the saloon out of all the
counties of North Carolina but six. Gov
ernor Colquittt of Texas, is for local OPP
ton against state prohibition. he re-
minds the members of the legislature,
however that they were elected on the
platform of the submission of a consti-
tutional amendment to a vote of the
people which Is true. But local option
which the whisky men pretend to hail
as such a friend has already driven the
saloon from two hundred thousand
square miles of territory and from
pretty nearly three millions of the pop
I'm the great reaction in the south
the liquor men forget their rout in
Oklahoma, the defeat of the democratic
candidate for governor of Nebraska, the
overwhelming victory of their enemies
in Tennessee. and the election of Hoke
Smith, an anti-saloon. exponent as the
governor of Georgia. The tidal wave
In the south is receding so the brewers
and distillers say, and SO 1t is in such a
way as to reveal more dry territory.
1.-The southern people are American
born and are singularly religious. They
have the negro problem. and are not
going to have the saloon. We point
out the enemies to two giants who have
risen during the past year to confront
them-Wiuiam Jennings Bryan, who
from this time on will give them no
quarter. and Emperor William of Ger
many, whose public condemnation of
the beer drinking habit. will leave many
Germans in this country to renounce
the championship of the saloon in the
wet and dry compaigns." ~
Episcopalians. Presbyterians, Disciples
of Christ and Congregationalists have
now made definite and tangible state
ments looking toward unity with other
Protestant bodies. Others have ex-
messed interest in unofficial ways and