The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-11
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Can't See 1t That Way
lie Editor of The Age-Herald.

To the Editor of The ge-Herald.
There is so much talk about the
"snitch" method of catching and con-
victing "blind tigers that most every
body wants to say "a little something"
on the subject. So 1 guess you'll par
don me, without the asking, if T, too,
butt in"
1 wish to say in the outset that l am
SO strong a prohibitionist that I actu-
ally drink nothing purer than water.
And that | believe SO strongly in en-
forcing the prohibition law that if /
could catch my wife's only husband
violating it 1 would have him in Jail
before breakfast. And I wish further
| to say that Mr.. Barber is q man of my
| much liking, except with a few eXcep-
| lions. But, of course. no man is with
| out blemish, except the fellow who has
! just died.
| Mr.. Barber appears to maintain that
! the "snitch" method, or spy" method
or helper Observation-Disclosures is the
most decent name to call it by--is not
only a money maker" but life
saver" for the prohibition laws.
| In all this he may be right. But it
will be hard for him to convince the
public, or even the prohibitionists that
the method is without fault When the
\ "snitch' method is mentioned, the pub
| lie frowns with disgust. And while Mr..
| Barber may continue to secure convic-
| lions in his own court by this method
he cannot succeed when the case comes
before jury of unbiased and fair
minded men. Men who are at liberty
to look upon the whole matter from
la standpoint of decency and honor on
| both sides, are liable to conclude that
even the guilty blind tiger is a more
desirable citizen than the man who can
be hired for a paltry sum to go out
and induce people to violate the law
in order that his Sob may last. Mr..
Barber admits that he cannot catch and
convict blind tigers" any other way.
Well, if he is right, and l guess he
knows what he is talking about, then
| they must not be disturbing the COM
immunity Very much. am not going to
! let my neighbor sell liquor. Are you?
Neither am 1 going to allow my neigh
Dor to beat his wife. If his wife finds
lit necessary to lick him occasionally,
that's all right But II he wants to be
my neighbor he must be too much of a
man to be spanking his wife around.
No man is cleaner than the dirtiest
thing he can do. Nor is a mans veraci-
jty to be valued above the blacklist lie
he ever told For no mans character
is measured by the many gentle virtues
The may display; but by the one vilest
act of debauchery he has ever stopped
Ito commit. So the "snitch method" will
ihave a hard road to travel. For the sim
pie reason that any man who can go
out and approach his prey with decep-
ton of any kind, and thereby secure
a technical violation OF law, just merely
for what little he gets out of it is sure
to incur the disrespect and distrust of
the higher minded public.
do not say that these helpers
don't buy liquor. and do not say that
they tell anything but the truth when
they testify in court. But l do say the
public does not approve the method, and
I do say that the juries will not con-
jvict on the unsupported testimony from
jsuch sources. And / do say that the
method Is unwhoiesome and dangerous
to society. Rnp sAr.'E
Brmin CHAM, Novcmbef ks ,z.