The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-11
FEAR LOCAL OPTIoNIsTs

| law within three QayS after It mad been organized.
 FEAR LOCAL OPTIONISTS 1 Prohibitionists believe local option ists in the campaign of 1918 will make an effort to bring legislature to Mont gomery which will favor the repeal of the prohibition law and that they will | give more time and money to this con- i test than to the fight for governor. 1 But the local optionists deny the charge. Whether the denial be for eff l feet or a positive expression of the | local optionist sentiment, one cannot | say Just the same the local optionists ! say the prohibition issue should not be injected into the next campaign and promise to lay the blame upon the pro- 1 hibitionists if it does become the issue ! "Why are they forcing this issue on the state again?" asked Emmet O'Neal, former governor, of the Montgomery correspondent of The Age-Herald last week. "The issue is settled, isn't it? Prohibition is on the statute books and I cannot see why the state should not f now be permitted to give consideration to other issues." Governor ONeal did mot say whom he meant by they" but the plural pronoun implies persons oth- CT than one's own party and Governor tO'Nea1 is a local optionist
 I ProhibitioniSts answered by saying | that victory is not won if it can be turned into defeat at any time and 1t lis defeat they are working against in considering the next campaign. At the same time they do not admit that they Iare forcing the issue. If the charge ! of the local optionists and the answer of the prohibitionists were considered, Ithe definition of prohibition would be something like this:
 | Prohibition, the thing that fur nished perpetual motion for Alabama" lit is forever an issue in Alabama with no one to admit that he forced tho issue.
 M'DOWELL IS ACTIVE Local option friends of Charles S. Mcdowell and John H. Wallace, Jr., are openly active in an effort to combine the strength of the local optionists on their favorite. MT. McDowells name has been carried throughout the state during the past few weeks by friends who knew him as president of the Ala bama State Bar association and in a personal way. MT. McDowell has not announced and will not do so until he has expressions of support which he be- lieves will cause him to make a show ling.
 l MT. Wallace's friends have started a remarkable personal campaign for him.
 
 nent persons in public life of all coun- ties asking their support and declaring MT. Wallace to be the proper person. MT. Wallace is taking no part in the Icampaign and Saturday declared that it | is too early to consider the matter. He said the people should not at this time be forced to consider matter which will not be decided for two years.
 1 One friend of Mir. Wallace has ad- dressed a personal letter at his ex- pense to friends throughout the state i and in it he said: Tt has been my pleasure. to know John Wallace under circumstances which tried the metal of a man and he always assayed pure gold. He has courage. integrity and executive ability to marked degree and there is no man in public life bet | ter equipped to solve the intricate problems of taxation and governmental affairs which will confront the next chief executive, the happy solution 1 thereof being so essential to the wei fare of the people. It may not be amiss to remind you that John Wallace has at all times and under all circumstances responded to the call of democracy | with his time, his talent and his purse and as campaigner has no superior | in the state.
 | "On account of activity in certain quar- l ters we deem it advisable to push this matter speedily in every county and 1 l will thank you to let me hear from you l with any suggestion in the premises"
 KILBY HAS ANNOUNCED 1 Prohibition and local optionists have 1 joined in presenting the names of Judge | N. D. Denson of Opelika and Judge w. 1 w. Brandon of Tuscaloosa. Each one is 1 prohibitionist but believes the issue | should be kept within state bounds and l not be carried to the national govern ment Judge Denson's friends have been active since he led the ticket for dele
 gate to the national convention early | in the year. One report has been that local option friends would line up as many | local optionists as possible for Judge Denson and then an effort would be made l to obtain the full support of members | Of the prohibition faction. These activi- | ties, however, would be on the theory that | prohibition is a small issue and that otr- | CT more important matters should be
 considered in the campaign. With the 1 indication that the Anti-Saloon league l will insist upon prohibition being the is- | sue, there is doubt that support could l be combined on Judge Denson. l Tuscaloosa county friends of Judge 1 Brandon are responsible for his boom, | which has travelled at great velocity during the week as result of cit | zens' mass meeting at Tuscaloosa last week. Judge Brandon is known through