The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-14
Judge Lanes Views


 if prohibition does not prohibit 1T Jefferson county as well as they had hoped it would assert that the abuse of liquor has been minimized. Now granting flor the sake of argument, that there is less drunkenness in the county today than there was prior to January 1, 1908, when the saloons went out of business, all thoughtful, fairminded men, familiar with present tlind tiger conditions must agree that the little that has been gained in one way has been more than off set by the growing tendency to lower morals in other directions.
 One of the most distressing abuses growing out of the liquor traffic is the debauching of youth. When Bir- mingham had saloons it was seldom that a minor was served by a bar tender. Under an excise commission that clause in the Smith law which safeguards youth will be like all other provisions, strictly enforced. In the tlind tigers boys as well as men drink And for every boy tippler in this city four years ago there are scores, if not hundreds, now.
 Hypocrisy perjury and general disrespect for law in "dry' Birming- ham have come to be remarked by the public as well as by police officials and judges. No one knows Birming ham better than Judge A. o. Lane does; few know it half so well. He served as mayor four terms. He was an able judge, and as a member of the board of commissioners now he has especial charge of the police de- partment. In his frank address to the people of Birmingham, which ap- peared in Sunday Age-Herald, he comes out strongly in favor of sa- loons There have been many force ful arguments on the saloon side, but no one has viewed the liquor question in all its parts so thoroughly as Judge Lane or has argued for saloons more convincingly than he.
 His discussion is characterized not only by a note of sincerity but it is singularly earnest. It is full of prac- tical wisdom, too. Any one of the terse truths found in Judge Lanes address should carry more weight than all the platitudes or poorly re- lated facts of all the theorists or doc trinaires Jumped together.
 Here are a few paragraphs from Judge Lanes address:
 True 1t is that the evil has been mucl diminished, but not suppressed, and m Judgment is that 1t cannot be who'll suppressed under existing conditions That the blind tiger" is an evil n thoughtful man will deny. It is convert ing many of our young men into sneaks undermining our social organism, and CT taillng heavy expense upon our city county and state.
 A sumptuary law can never be full. enforced in any city with a majority o | tt,. Ia. a4fagf rttft 1a ar. against the genius and spirit of tn American people We are bearing man. Of the burdens of whisky selling with out securing any of the benefits. Tn state, the county, the cities and tn towns need the revenue to be derivet from the legal sale of whisky and the. should secure 1t instead of paying ou heavy sums for it's illegal sale. If W, must bear its burdens. as we must should we not reap the benefits?
 My observation and information hav always been that dry town Is a dul town.
 l am quite confident that, from a mora point of view, the open saloons, well an, strictly regulated. are preferable to dis pensaries, on account of the demora lizin; influence of blind tigers" l believe tha from the revenue point of view the opei saloons would bring more net money int, the treasury of the city than dispensares shall, therefore, vote for the open sa looms, and I will spare no efforts to se, them well and strictly regulated. I trus that the voters will study these question. from every point of view, and cast etheil votes in such way as to best promote tn, moral and financial welfare of the citv
 Certain it is that Judge Lane has given the citizens food for thought and open-minded men who had been thinking well of the dispensary sys- tenn will follow the example of this safe adviser and upright man and vote for high license and regulation.