The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-30
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Personal Liberty

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 I wish to say few words on the much-abused subject of Personal Priv ileges."
 We have personal privileges, it is true, but not to the extent that our privileges infringe on the rights of others It has always been the personal privilege of the strong to suppress the weak: but right interferes with such personal privileges and protects the weak
 have been taught, and I believe that the people who founded this American government intended that it should be a free government that is, a government of free people, and that idea was hedged about With another great principle, to- wit: That no man or set of men should use their freedom to oppress or make slaves of others.
 We are desirous that all men be free as to their religious. political and other personal rights or privileges, and that they should worship God according to the dictates of their conscience; and at the same time we demand the same rights and privileges. I believe in free speech and I also believe in the speak CT being held to strict account as to the truth of his speech.
 We all know that certain amount of our personal rights are of necessity surrendered to the government. This principle is well established in the laws of our country. For instance by au- thority of law a citizen surrenders a certain portion even of his real estate for the public good. And this is done whenever and wherever public highways are established. The citizen may have paid his money; yes, his personal money, if you please, for the land, but the law looking to the greatest good to the com munity, says to him: You must part with your real property for the good of the public" This principle is also rec ognized in our tax laws. We pay taxes out of our own personal earnings, which is intended to secure a government looking solely to the public good. This principle Is again recognized in all in- stitutfons of learning in order that the people may be better morally. religiously; and, therefore, better qualified to serve not themselves so much, after all. as to serve the public good.
 This howl of personal privileges by few politicians of Alabama is noise It is a sound without real merit h. deed, it is like sounding brass or al tinhling cymbal no real good in it. if any liberty at all.
 If this personal liberty so much talked about by certain politicians in Alabama was pressed to it's ultimate limits therei would not be a church nor school nor a public highway nor any other public institutions looking to the uplft of hu- manity in the state The surrender of presonal liberties is too we'll established and understood by the people to need further argument. Indeed. all public in stitutions grow out of the sacrifice of personal privileges and selfish interests We are today engaged in the most gi- gantic war the world ever saw, and multiplied millions of personal rights and privileges are sacrificed for the good that is to accrue to the people in after years Tn other words. the greatest good for ha a hQ nf To ic l,r true idea. and not the "personal priv ilege" idea as it is presented by the so- called local optionists in this state Tn fart. every man knows that there is no such thing as localizing liquor. You may put It in the mountains of the re ] motest rural district and it will find it's way into every home for hundreds cf miles around And these local optonists | know that the local optionist doctrine l cannot be applied with practical results e~"' liberties is too well established of liquor
 The counterfeiter has personal righ. to counterfeit money; but it is best for him, and best for the community that he obey the laws And hence he is |, taught to surrender his personal liberty | Our health laws teach us that men must surrender their personal liberty for the
 H'n no~n-ouNitv It may look a l little hard for man with smallpox tcl he ta'sen from his home and lodged irl a pesthouse. but. the law, looking to tho ~reatest good to the larsest number has said he must go if needs be.
 And alter thinking over the matter, | believe with all my heart that hundred cases of smallpox in thicSlv populate1 would be less injurious tci the public than one retail liquor saloon l Very respectfully. S M. ADAMS.
 Clanton. December 26, 1917.