The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-30
BOWIE IN FAVOR
 OF DISPENSARI
,ooNTINuED FROM PAGE D


 >-~~---3-->S-~T>--~, T-->~-~~>72---T>--e in the first instance by the governor, must go before the people Tor re- election, and. who are subject tc recall at any time bN majority of the voters, should exercise the duties of this of-. flee. If this provision had been adopted the needless expense of $11 100 would have been saved and the people would have had the control in their own hands through their own chosen of ficers.
 "3 The 3O-room hotel is but pat tern of the Raines law of New York without many of the restrictions pro- vided in that act for the protection of the public. But even under the Raines law there has existed Tn it's worst form that trinity of evils under a single roof. the brothel, the gamb- ling hell and the saloon running riot every minute of the year Some reason able enforcement of the Sunday law may be possible in the licensed bars on a street corner disconnected from any other institution, but with hotel catering to the trade of evil men and women neither Sundays nor the mid night hour are exempt. The sale of liquor goes on all the time If 1t were intended to restrict the licenses to the respectable hotels of the county, why was not the number limited as in the
 
 tel of 30 rooms entitled as a matter of right to license? Why are the strin- gent provisions for the regulation of the ordinary saloon not made appli- cable to hotels of this character? The public need not be misinformed about the Raines law nor it's operation in New York. It is known to all men. The inevitable effect of this provision, if indorsed by the votes of the people, will be to abolish the restricted dis trict and scatter the social evil from one part of the city to another. The scheme has been tried. Its effect is thoroughly known and understood. It may very well be that the most re- spectable of the hotels should be per mitted to sell liquor. but no reason has ever been suggested or can be offered why an unlimited number of the houses of che character permitted in this bill, which, because of the name which they adopt, shall be given the sanction and approval of the law.
 Dispensary Provision
 A. The dispensary provision of the Smith bill prohibits the employment as a dispenser or purchasing agent of any person who purchased federal per- init since 1907. Why was this not made to apply to the private sale of liquors so as to effectually exclude the known blind tigers of this city?
 "5. Assurance has been given through semi-inspired statements that the gov ernor will appoint only good men on the excise commission. We have never heard of any other class of men being appointed, certainly in advance, all though some of the appointments have turned out disastrously after they were made. We have no war to make upon the governor of this state nor any idea of suggesting that he would intention ally appoint bad men to any office. But assuming that the governor will dis charge his duty and appoint good men in whom the county has reason to have full confidence, does 1t follow that the next governor will not make a mis- take. It is against vesting this power in any governor that protest is made. If this governor does not make of it a political machine for the election of his favorites and the perpetuation of his policies, you may rest assured that the mighty power which will be con- centrated under the banner of the ex- else commission will be used by some governor for purposes injurious to the public welfare Above everything else the opportunity should not be- given for the perpetuation of any cabal in office by the creation of a political machine with the consolidated backing of the entire liquor interest of Ala
 
 will not be used It is impossible to avoid its use. The day when this power is exercised may not be tomor- row, but it is not distant.
 Proves Best Method
 T favor the sale of the liquor by the dispensary because, 1n my judgment, after having watched its effect in other coun- ties in this state where 1t has been amply tried 1t has proven the best and most satisfactory method yet devised for regu- lating the liquor traffic. That 1t has pro- noted temperance is attested by indis- putable evidence. The early closing hour, which applies to the dispensary, but does not to the saloon. constitutes one of the strongest recommendations of the sys- tenn. The prohibiting of drinking on the premises Is another. The quality of the liquor which they sell is guaranteed by the provisions of the law to be as good as that required of saloons with this diff ference, that there is no temptation on the part of the dispensaries to adultera- tion, while there is every temptation on the part of the saloons There is no greater opportunity for graft in the dis pensary than there is In any other branch of the public service. The good conduct of the dispenser is guaranteed by the high character of our city commissioners, who will have charge of them and whose
 
 tions to govern them. If peradventure the present commissioners tan unthink- able thing. should disappoint the expec- tations of the people and prove faithless to their trust, they are subject to removal by recall on short notice. This sword is forever suspended over their heads. It has been said that the only argument for dispensary is the revenue which it produces. This is the least argument in favor of the dspensary. As means of regulating the traffic it has been thor eughly tested and proven success The people patronize the blind tiger not be- cause they have sympathy with the vio- lation of the law, but simply because that is the only place they can go to pur- chase what they believe they have a right to buy. With IA dispensaries in this town and others in the county there would be no occasion of any citizen to patronize a blind tiger. and they will dry up as quickly with dispensaries in this county as they would with saloons.
 Is Legitimate Consideration
 'But 1t is a mistake to assume that the revenue to be derived from the dispen- sary is not a legitimate consideration in it's favor. Conservative estimates are that the dspensary in this county will pay from one-half a million to million dol lars per annum. This is based upon the