The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-22
OUTSIDER ON THE
 LOCAL CAMPAIGN McLane Hilton Sees Some
 of Our Faults ACTION HURTS CITY Thinks Assertions Made By Both Sides Go Abroad and Give the
 Outside World a Wrong
 Impression

To the Editor of The Age-Herald: To 8 man happily located out in the woods, beyond the range of hostilities,
 the local option situation presents several features worthy of comment. The turmoil | in your city looks strange as compared with the business-like quiet which pre- vailed in Montgomery and Mobile on re- cent occasions of like character. Just what the reason is for this difference out siders have teen unable to fathom. Pos- | sibly Birmingham is a more Chrls'iah city than her two lively neighbors to the south? Mayhap your people are holler than theirs? Or more given to Haunt their santiness in public than their brethren
 at the capital and on the coast? Those of us who are admirers Of INT minghsm, frequent visitors there, nope
 fal of her future growth and develop
 ment. cannot but be alarmed at the d.
 yslons and dissentions you are exhlpit-
 ine to the outside world. It comes to us
 that bit less than half your population
 are fanatics, while a bit the larger halt
 are hand glove with whisky makers, all
 depending upon the paper we read. Ac-
 
 ham was not decent place to live in
 pi1or to prohibition. According to an-
 ether it has been worse since that calam-
 ity. After August "A, close to 50 per cent
 of your folks should move to Pell City,
 to be consistent. We will welcome either outfit and can satisfy both.
 I am partly a newspaper man myself, and 1t looks deplorable to me that the gentlemen in charge of the two contending forces are permitted to make use of the press so that it is bound to hurt, no mat ter which way the cat jumps. If Birining- ham were isolated from the world, if this was merely a private little party of your own, some excuse could be found for this pot and kettle fuss and fury. But the world is looking on, even if uninvited, and things are being done that will make Birmingham's reputation carry a liberal discount in quarters where it ought to cir
 culate above par.
 The opinion of the average outsider, fa-
 miliar with Birmingham in recent years, is this: If the regulated saloon is estab- lisLed. Birmingham will be wet; if prohi-
 bitlon once again carries it will be equally wet, and the wetting materials long
 sight meaner; if you set up a dispensary, then the Lord have mercy on your souls.
 That dividend is not likely to be drawn from this prayer appears reasonable when we consider that Providence is inclined to help those only who help themselves. People who disregard the lessons of ex- | perience and deliberately vote a dispen- sary upon themselves in Birmingham s
 environment, deserve all they will get and
 more.
 | But the outsider is unable to find justi- fioation for ali this excitement charge and counter charge. Anybody who wants d drink in Birmingham need not go thnst as most any prohibitionist will testify. So as we see 1t. the issue Is
 whether you will sell whisky regulated by law whisky that will pass muster be- fore capable commissioners, or will con- | linue to infict upon the unwary within | VOLT midst an article that has been known | to paralyze at 30 yards in less than | one minute. I have seen that happen my self and since then have remained away | from that place.
 | Tn city of Birmingham's size 1t ought net to be necessary to take ones life in | tfIG leIt ndnu every lliile d 6ldSS 10 ilitCN | with the right. If this were contra many other larger cities would have long ago dono what Birmingham has been trying | to do. The reason they did not try was | because, with better judgment, they &C., cepted the verdict of experience. You could not rest content without a further demonstration of the fact
 | Wei, you have enjoyed the demonstra- | ton, observed the result and should be
 ready to throw your weight on the side of the vast majority of the human race. | From apostolic times and before, right | down to this good day, moderation has | been approved in sermon, song and story. St. Paul's i1sunction to Timothy in this regard is doctrine so wholesome that | it has not been intelligently challenged in near o0oa years. At any rate, there be many folks, not altogether depraved, who still I,refer to err with Paul than shine with Eeddow, and to run chances with | Timothy lafher than cinch salvation by setting up Hobson prophet
 | M'LANE HILTON, JR. l Pell City, August 20 1911.
 |