The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08
|COL. E..L. RUSSELL
 ON LIQUOR TRAFFIC
Approves High License and
 Rigid Regulations
RIGHT OF LOCAL OPTION
Thinks Every Community Should Have Right to Regulate It's Own Do-
 nestle Affairs Without
 Outside Interference

Mobile, January 7.-(special.) )-Col. E. L.
 Russell. vice president of the Mobile and
 Ohio railroad, discusses local option and
 the rifht to engage in the liauor traffic
 In the Mobile Item as follows:
 ''It is known that I took a very active
 part in the work of organizing the oppc-
 sition to the adoption of the proposed prohibition amendment to the constitu- ton of. the state of. Alabama. Before there was any organized opposition to the proposed amendment I had an interview lin which stated that was not allied in any way with the whisky interest in making opposition to the amendment to the constitutions that I opposed it upon fundamental principles; and that great many good prohibition. citizens in the state would oppose it for the same req
 sons I also stated in the interview that the people engaged In the whisky traffic were largely responsible for the adoption of statewide prohibition.
 After the election was over and the amendment defeated, had another in- teryiew, in which I stated that the re- suit of the election did not mean that the people of Alabama intended to turn the politics of the state over to the peo- pie engaged in the whisky traffic; that 1t would be a great mistake for those engaged In this traffic to look upon the result of the election in that light: that a great responsibility rested upon the people who had really defeated the amendment; that the conservative, moral sentiment of the state would look to the people who had organized and fought the adoption of the amendment, for such regulation of the whisky traffic as would minimize the evil.
 "Now. have always been in favor of local option, because local option Is principle of local self government. Neither Jefferson county nor any other county in the state of Alabama has any moro right to interfere and dictate to the peo- ple of Mobile county as to how it shall control and regulate its internal and do- nestle affairs than has the state of Maine to interfere and dictate to the state Of Alabama as to how 1t shall control ana regulate its internal and domestic affairs Local elf-government is the pillar upon which democracy rests. herewith sub init the declaration of three of the great est statesmen of this question::
 "'Upon the maintenance of local self government depend liberty and the rights of man in every government. Thomas Jefferson.
 Local self-government is a part of the very nature of the race to which we belong. Thomas M. Cooley.
 "A centralized administration is fit only. to enervate the nation in which 1t exists. .,--Alexis de TocQueville.
 .srhis is the highest authority on local government. The democratic doctrine recognizes the family as the unit. If one neighbor should go over to the house of another neighbor and attempt to in- terfere with the management of his do nestle affairs, we can safely assume that he would be kicked out This principle of democracy Is extended to the conn munity. Democracy Is in favor of com munity government. This principle is also extended to county government, and then to state government. It is a government of delegated powers. All powers not dele gated are reserved to the states.
 T submit these reasons. in support or the declaration contained in the last oem- ocratic platform. which Is in favor or local option, and as we have seen this Is In strict accord with democratic doc urine and principles. While the state IS willing to concede to each county the right to determine for itself whether or not 1t win allow whisky and malt liquors to be sold within its boundaries. it re- serves to itself the right to so control and regulate this privilege as to min imixe the evil. I believe that practically every one comedies that the sale of liquor and other intoxicating drinks is an evil. The only question, therefore, to be settled is what methods should be adopted to reduce this evil to a minimum. have given considerable thought to the Ques- ton as to how hest to control and reg
 ulate this evil. Everyone will recall that the people of the state of Mfssouri re- gently voted on the question as to wheth- CT or not they would incorporate prohi-
 bltion amendment in the state constitu-
 ton. This question was voted on
 November g.. and the result was
 that the people rejected the amend
 ment The rejection of the prohibi-
 tioA amendment by the people of Ala
 bama did not mean that the conserve
 tive and even prohibition citizens of the
 state wanted to prevent any man from
 taking drink of liquor. What the ma jority of the prohibition states wants is
 to control and prevent the abuse of the li- censed traffic in liquor. The majority of the prohibitionists are opposed to dramshops on account of the attitude of many of the saloonkeepers toward the law, which attitude to disregard the law might in majority of cases amount to reckless defiance and on account of their interference in politics. Now what Is the best remedy?. The privilege to traffic in liquor should be licensed, and the license should be raissd to high figure and Kept there. .'1 cut ans editorial out of the st. Louis Republic the morning after the election last November which; Represents my views. It is as follows:
 "'The license tigure should be raised to higher figure and kept there, and the revocation of the license should mean the loss of the fee. Higher license would mean fewer saloons. and this would l sts,n vltfv. the uroblem of OverSighf. It