The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-17

the ma iority of the people of the state want statutory prohibition The ma jority of the people of Alabama will keep dry" the overwhelming majority of the counties of Alabama, but the con tention is that they want to retain in force the dem6cratic rule of local self government. The prohibitionists argue that this is a mistaken idea and point to the fact that they, who are in the majority. are the representatives and therefore the embodiment of the opin- ion of the people who elected them. However, many of the men who are members of the legislature were not chosen because they are prohibitionists Speaker Carmichael, for instance, was
 not elected by the people of Colbert county, one of the wet" counties of the state, because he is a prohibition ist. The people knew of course his record and his ideas and opinions. But they considered him fist valuable man to send to Montgomery as their represen tative.
 Hence, Mir Carmichael received the votes of local optionists, and had he not, it is possible that he would have been defeated. There are other instances which might be cited to indicate that the people when voting for individuals
 were not necessarily voting for statu- tory prohibition.
 Signing Petitions
 Throughout Alabama at the present 1 time people are signing petitions urg i ing the legislature to submit to them | the liquor problem. It is scarcely to be
 believed that the prohibitionists will
 heed the petitions. They will perhaps l in paliation of their course contend that 1 the petitions are the result of ruse of that insdious foe which, with money, corrupts' the prohibitionists of ] the state and causes them to vote at | the polls contrary to their judgment,
 their hopes, their prayers-even their 1 intentions.
 1 It is poscibie, therefore to believe that | the people will become aroused, and that
 the liquor question will continue for an other four years, a flaming brand light l ing the way of political destiny. In the ] first place. the people will contend that 1 they have been denied by their represent I tatives the object of their petitions. In l the second place. they will argue that the prohibitionsts do not trust them, the people, the people who have been charged | with contemptible submission to the cor l rupting influences of astute politicians l In the third place, the people will realize
 that in the moment of their power the prohibitionistS were unreasonable, that 1r | legislation they went too far.
 And then will come the outbreak anC perhaps the overthrow of the present pre- i dominating political party-that party
 which might have settled and entrel,
 tc it's own satisfaction the most irritating 1 political issue which has been for years | the characterizng feature of Alabama
 politics. | As matter of fact, politicians are al
 eady looking four years ahead. The pro- hibitionists, if reports are true, are groom l ing their man, and the local optionists l their man. It is freely discussed in Mont | gomery that pressure will be brought tc | bear against Speaker Carmichael in thai l he might become gubernatorial candi- | date. 1t is safe to say that many people
 are considering the possibility of Lieuten'
 ant Governor kilby becoming the business i CT conservative candidate. Among tho 1 local optionists, the name of Hugh Nor | LOW of Birmingham is mentioned I Of course. it is vet too early. Neither 1 of the gentlemen mentioned has consid 1 cred the possibilities of another foui years. But others have, and this but ] goes to prove that the present situation is
 considered one in which the people have 1 been Haunted and by some. at least, de l rded. and one, therefore, pregnant witt l political opportunity of the most appeal ing variety. There seems cause. therefore 1 to predict for the comparatively near flu ture, another and perhaps more violen 1 liauor controversy.