The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-06
S|bLEY WRITES ON
THE CONSISTENCY OF
H0bSON ON '|SSUE"
Prominent PrOhibitiOnSt
Calls Attention to Facts
of Interest All Over
State
0 the Editor of The Age-Herald:

To the Editor of The Age Herald:
My friends of the Anti-Saloon league
allege as a reason for lndorsing Captain
IIobson for the Senate that he has al
ways been a consistent prohibitionist."
| think when his record is squared with
the facts 1t does not justify their claim,
according to the general acceptatlon of
the meaning of the word consistency, as
set forth In the dictionary. Let us see.
In 1907 under a local option law we
waged a very aggressive campaign to
make Jefferson county dry and succeeded
in doing so by a handsome majority.
Where was Captain Hobson then? His
magnetic voice and winsome presence
were sadly missing, and we had to send
to Georgia and Texas to get two estlma-
BILE ladies of the Womans Christian Tenn
perance union to come and appeal to our
voters which they did in a noble and
effective way.
Not until county after county had voted
dry did we see the brave captain get
upon the band (wateD wagon and de-
mand the drivers seat.
Later on we had the fight for the con-
stitutional amendment, which was sup
L
sistent prohibitionist IL Captain Hob
son has been able to satisfactorily ex-
plain his failure to vote for the amend
ment Notwithstanding he was within half
hours ride of his polling place, the pub
lie would like the Anti-Saloon league to
let them into the secret of this new YER
sion of consistency.
Later when Colonel Mallory was the
straight out prohibition candidate for the
democratic nomination for governor we
find Captain Hobson was too busy with
chautauqua duties and occasional attend
ance in the halls of Congress to come
down and stump the state for a candi
date whose election would have saved
our statewide prohibition law, but on the
contrary we find him writing letters in
praise of Emmett O'Neal who had
avowed his intention to repeal the prohi-
bition law. oh, consistency, what
strange visage thou hast assumed
At the same time Captain White, a gall
liant and battle SCARED soldier in the
cause of prohibition was a candidate for
the Senate. but Captain Hobson couldn't
see that prohibition was an issue then
so espoused the cause of local option
ist.
The public evidently had been led to
sons prohibition principles, for when we
had the last fight to keep Jefferson county
dry, we lost by a larger majority than
we won in 1907, Notwithstanding the cap
tain's eloquent voice was heard In almost
every precinct in the county.
For myself (and a host of other pro-
hibtionists seem to agree with mel, l
want n leader whose consistency is of a
more reliable sort and who has given us
the first law assuring us that the ma
tional government will not permit wet
section of the country to nullify the laws
of a dry section by shipping liquor into
same. AS that true and tried prohibition
ist Judge Weakley said in recent tenn
perance address, "the Webb bill viii pro-
duce helpful results In the matter of en-
forcing our state prohibition laws be-
fore the national amendment IN due
course could be adopted"
In conclusion permit me to suggest that
we prohibitionists had better bend our
energies to making our states dry and
when we have succeeded in getting three
fourths of them dry. we can then hope
to see 1t become a nationwide policy, be-
cause the requisite majority as pro-
yided in the constitution of the United
states so wills. Respectfully,
JOHN w. SHIRLEY.
Birmingham. February 8. 1914