The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-10-03
ALBANIAN TALKS
TO PENSAGOLfANS
HON. LEON MccoRD ADDRESSES
GATHERING AND TELLS WHY
HE IS OPPOSED TO PRoHIBI-
TIoN.

Hon. Leon McGord, speaking on the
question of what prohibition does and
is doing in the state of Alabama, adj
dressed large gathering at the cor
ner of Garden and Palafox streets
last night, and created a favorable
impression. Mr.. McCord lead the
fight against constitutional prohibi-
ton in the state of Alabama, and he
was well qualified TO tell of condi--
tons as they really existed in the
state from which he halls.
4 Hon. Robert Anderson presided at
the meeting, and, in his speech,
which he concluded with the intro
duction of Mr.. Hervey, made an in
teresting talk, which was favorably
received by the crowd.
Mr.. Hervey, before proceeding with
his speech, read kilograms from
Birmingham and Mobile, in which the
staNlent was made that the business
of hotels had decreased so per cent,
and that the sale of liquor had not de-
creased, but, rather, had increased.
He also read letter from the chief
of police at Mobile, in which said
that in his opinion, the regulated sa-
loon was far more acceptable than
the bootlegger. Within the past three
years, the chief wrote, he had received
but two complaints of liquor selling
to minors, but that since July 1,
when prohibition went into effect, he
had received complaints Of fifteen
sales of liquor to boys, and some to
boys under fifteen years of age.
Mr.. McCord's speech was we'll re-
Iceived by the crowd which was a
large one for Saturday night. He
said in part:
Mr.. M'CORD'S SPEECH.
81 come to you from Alabama to-
night and l do not claim that know
lany more on this subject than other
men. 1t is a great burning question
for men who toll in office, in shops,
and beneath the sun to settle for
themselves, am an optirnist, pure
and simple; / believe that men are
growing better not worse; am like
the old lady who said that she was
happy and thankful, said she didn't
lhave but two teeth in her head but
thank the Lord they hit.
"Hon. Samuel Lee Weakly of my
state spoke to you last week and !
am informed that he spent much of
his time in using the pronoun "I''
and in telling you people how he
drafted the many prohibition bills for
Alabama and how he had them enact
ed into law in the Legislature; that
he was chairman of the self-appointed
, committee and represented himself as
being guardian ad-litem for Alabama.
Mr.. Weakly has spent much time in
telling people what he has done and
how he was an ex-chief Justice of our
Supreme Court I tell you that he
has written, and had passed many
laws for my State; he is an ex-chief
Justice and has never been elected by
my people to any office but was ap-
pointed to that position and failed of
election before the people, he started
out to run for governor of my state
and when he saw defeat he came out
of the race. Judge Weakly is a re-
former; he paints many beautiful and
| glowing pictures of prohibition, of
what it will do, and its good effects
and then he goes away and leaves it
to conservative men to take care of
his laws; to take care of the taxes; to
take care of the City finances; to
take care of paving bonds; leaves it
all to you and Immediately goes to
J pastures green to there paint new
pictures of this wonderful panacea
Prohibition.
sLet US see if we can, and let US
; try If we can to understand this ques-
ton; Birmingham, Montgomery, and
Mobile in my state must now pay ar
enormous fund in revenues to fight
the blind-tiger and the boot-legger;
we are called upon to employ addi-
tional policemen to try and enforce
the Weakly laws and ask you
where we are to get the funds anc
revenue to pay the officers of the
law. The reforlner in Alabama has
left US and gone away to other fields
and it is now up to us to meet these
conditions. Whiskey is being sold il
all three of these cities, and we are