The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-11-02
THE MACHINE CRUMBLES

ture pencils. What other reason may have prompted his act, was not made public. Eventually successor was
 chosen--that is successor as the head of a temperance organization. The Rev. J. c. Persinger conducted for a
 year or more the temperance end or the league in a manner which won the heartily commendation of it's officers. He worked diligently. He spread from pulpits and meeting places throughout
 the state the gospel of temperance. The Anti Saloon league became a tenn perance organization without political affiliations.
 But the machine which had been built up under the direction of MT. Lawrence was not allowed to go to waste while the Anti-Saloon league inveighed against the demon rum.'' New lead- CTS arose--not one, but several They climbed aboard the good ship "prohibi- tion," and directed it's affairs with far greater eclat and with much greater show of force than had ever been used before.
 Where. MT. Lawrence whispered, where he nodded and smiled, these new
 masters drove with an iron rod. They commanded and few there were brave enough to withstand their every show of force. The prohibition lobby came Into being. Some say they inherited their power. Others, not so charitable, declared they were usurpers. Yet they ruled with a mailed fist. The house and senate of the legislature were ser- vile institutions doing their bidding. The governor-the chief executive by vote of the people-was powerless to withstand these unchosen masters.
 They made Alabama dry. That was their declared intention. Yet they did not stop. They continued their domi- nation. They passed laws of every na- ture relating to matters with not the slightest reference to prohibition. The legislature, apparently, could not re- sist. They were in supreme control. They grew drunk with power and rode to fall.
 CANDIDATES ARE BEATEN
 The people bided their time. In the re- cent primaries they spoke. The members ably much to their surprise-met with defeat. Every candidate who had done their bidding failed of accomplishing his ambitions. The lobby had lost it's grip.
 The Anti-Saloon league leaders-quicls to scent danger ahead-hoisted the dis
 tress signal. They gave the Macedonian
 cry. They must separate themselves and that without delay-from the mem
 bers of the lobby, their former steering | COIllIIllbtCCs AO Acn6 uC ludSt d6dAA tdhC
 charge of the sordd political end of the prohibition work Outside political man. agers it appeared, had outside inter ests," which conflicted with the purposes of the league.
 A state campaign was about to open. A governor and legislature were to be chosen. A United States senator. con xressman, sheriffs, solicitors. judges and county officials too numerous to mention had to be selected The prohibition cause must be well presented and adroitly man. aged, or all the labors. all the strife, nll the bitterness, all the expense of the past 10 years might be lost.
 But who should be the leader? Whc was the Moses who could lead them out of the wilderness of entangling alliances; 1 Who could free them from the odiun of the lobby and the hand pickers? What Cincinnatus should be called to save the cause?
 AND LAWRENCE COMES And then they thought of the 'man from Ohio" They recalled how he had marshalled the dry forces of the state They thought of the master hand which had built up machine more powerfu than that possessed by any corporation in the history of the state. They must hav0 "Broolssio.
 But how could they get him2 He had just bean sent by me national oEQanisa-