The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-16
LOCAL OpT|ONSTS
 HOLD B|G MEETING Lewisburg Citizens Strongly
 Oppose Prohibition JOHN WOODS SPEAKS Judge Dement,, Leon Friedman and Others Show How Futile Are
 Opposition Arguments in
 the Face of Facts

The meeting of the local optionists held last night at Lewisburg, was one of the most enthusiastic beat meetings held during the present campaign. Over $50
 people were present, including many
 ladies. The meeting was held in the open in front of. the Odd Fellows hall, and
 when the speaking was concluded an elegant barbecue was served. John House, president of the local option club of Lew isburg presided. The speakers were John B. Woods, president of the Birmingham
 trades council, Judge Ira Dement, and
 Leon Friedman.
 The speakers were accorded close at- tention and their remarks were lberally applauded.
 MT. House in a neat little speech stated
 the purpose of the meeting and intro-
 duced the first speaker MT. Woods of Birmingham.
 MT. Woods reviewed the conditions re-
 sulting from the reign of blind tigerism in Birmingham. and of the many evils
 resulting therefrom He stated that the police court records were in themselves
 testimonial of the failure of prohibi- ton. and that however roseate were the theories of prohibition, they had abso-
 lrtely proved fallacious in practice.
 Referring to the dispensary proposition
 MT. Woods stated that in his opinion,
 based on the experience of large cities in which the dispensary system was in vogue, the ultimate results were more disastrous than those under prohibition,
 and that instead of reducing the blind
 tiger evil they had everywhere tended to
 increase it. He spoke of the unfair meth ods adopted by the opposition in attack
 ing American citizens because they choose
 to differ from them and said the charge
 that elections had been stolen was child
 ish and absurd. MT. Woods was cheered
 loudly at the conclusion of his splendid
 speech.
 Judge Ira Dement, was the next speaker. In his opening remarks he stated that he was formerly prohibit tionist but after the experience of the past few years he had concluded that 1t was a failure and was In favor of the high license saloon. He referred to | the fact that under the present system the blind tiger had not only been brought near the home, but had entered it. He said that when women and chill dren were dealing in the liquor traffic | it was a condition that was intolera- ble and that so far as the voters of | jLewisburg were concerned would not | be tolerated.
 | He ridiculed the 30-room hotel bug aboo,' and stated that tiger" shad | never been able to exist with legiti.
 mate competition and never would I Ind Iax.x, aI-l.. It.
 putation that the former elections had
 been stolen and said such a charge was fair sample of the dope" the | opposition were resorting to in their ef- | forts to bolster a losing cause. He was frequently interrupted with ap- plause.
 Leon Friedman made the closing ad- dress and in clear straightforward manner exposed some of the fallacies of the arguments, advanced by the op-
 positions MT. Friedman referred to the ''holier than thou" attitude adopted by the oppositionists, and the aban-
 donment of one position after another
 until, as last resort, they had como to petty personalities in the feeble ef- forts to detract the voters from the true issues involved in this campaign.
 He spoke of the many misleading statements emanating from the oppos- tion, but that in every instance they
 had acted eS boomerang, and had ex- posed the weakness of their cause. r He told the voters that great vic tory was in sight for the local option cause, and that it would be victory for freedom of personal rights and lib erty against coercion and deceit MT
 Freedmans remarks were much appre- | ciated and were well received. The meeting was a most decided suc- | cess and 1t was suggested if the Lewis | burg box is any criterion, the ma jority | for local option in the county will be
 far greater than it's most ardent advo-
 cate anticipates.