The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18

public sentiment sustains the prohtbi- ton policy. and hence the laws against the liquor traffic can De enforced. I have suggested the passage of u general law excepting the larger cities of the state from the operation of our prohibition laws, because 1t Is conceded that such action would be in accord ance with the wishes of a decided ma jority of their people, and because the representatives from those counties are pledged to such a policy.
 No local bill providing for the sale of liquor in any form in any county should be permitted without referendum to the people, where there Is any doubt or question a S to the wishes and sentiment of the citizens of the communities to be affected.
 I would urge that all local bills con- tain certain provisions similar to the bill adopted for the larger cities. The same restrictions should apply to all alike. There should be no discrimina- ton in favor of any county or city or any unseemly contest for favorable leg islation on this subject.
 Local Option Law
 In the past few years the voters of Alabama have had three distinct oppor- tunities to delive. their utterances on the subject of the control of the sale of, liquor In our state. The proposition to amend our state constitution placed the liquor question before the voters of Alabama In it's most acute form. The verdict that followed could not be mis- understood It was emphatic against statewide prohibition and equally em- phatic in favor of local option. There fore, there should be no question that we are committed not only by the di- rect commands of our party, by honor and " 0nnd faith a m hV tho aynreSSad verdict of the people, to pass general local option bill
 If you, in obedience to the wishes of the people, legalze the sale of liquor in certain of the largest counties of the state you should not deny the people of those counties the opportunity in the future to prohibii its sale; nor should you refuse the people of any county in the state the right by majority vote 70 determine what their policy shall be on this question.
 I would suggest that no local option election be held before the next general election, and then only upon petition signed by one-fourth of the qualified voters of the county or the unit that you may establish.
 In the event that those residing In the unit that you may establish should desire an election to determine the will
 
 the general election of 1912, I would suggest that it be allowed only on con dition that 40 per cent of the qualified voters in such unit demand such an election by proper petition.
 If an election is auth orized by any local option bill you may enact it should be held as speedily as possible. There is no necessity for the long delays which former laws have provided should exist between the filing of the petition and the date of the election. The longer such elections are postponed the more bitterness and agitation Is engendered Most of our people already have decided convictions on this sub ject and a long campaign can furnish no advantage to the public, but only an opportunity for paid agitators and dem agogues to inhame public passion and advance their personal or political for tunes.
 A proper local option law should pro- vide that the people should have the right to express their choice as to the different methods by which liquor could be legally sold, whether by dispensaries or licensed establishments selling less than one quart, or by wholesale es- tablishments.