The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-16
To My Fellow Citizens:

To My Fellow Citizens:
 I believe that the people of Alabama are well informed as to my attitude on the question of the prohibition amendment to the constitution of the United States. I announced for gover- nor on a business platform, be- lieving that my experience in the world of practical affairs had qualified me to deal success fully with the very distressing condition existing in the state treasury, and I believe that noth- ing will aid more in the solution of the states financial problems than the removal of the trouble some liquor question from our politics; which will be the effect of the ratification of the amend ment by the states of the union, not to mention the great moral, social, economic and health ad- vantages that will accrue to our people from permanent prohibit ton.
 1 believe that the people of Jefferson county realize and ap- preciate these facts more than ever since they have had such satisfactory experience with pro- hibition-an experience which has meant so much less crime and the closing of one of the fin est jails in the south because there was no one to put in 1t. I believe that the people of this county want to help our soldier boys win the war by putting to a legitimate, constructive use the great amount of foodstuffs now wasted in the manufacture of liquor and beer. I believe that they wish to see coal, cars, ships, etc, used in the manufac- ture and transportation of liquor, diverted to patriotic purposes, and l propose to use what in- fluenee l possess along those lines.
 More than anything else, however, believe the people of the state want to turn their att tention to the serious commer- cial, industrial, agricultural and educational affairs of the com monwealth. With great nitrate plant under construction in the Tennessee valley, with great shipbuilding plants being built at Mobile, Alabama's only sea- port; with millions of dollars and many new citizens having been brought into the state by the great army. camps at Annis- ton and Montgomery; with the great industrial district of Bir- mingham enjoying unprecedent- ed prosperity, with labor being paid more than ever before in history, and with the farms of the state producing more abund- antly and in greater diversity than ever before, I believe the time is ripe for Alabama to come into it's own. Before this can be done, however, we must get our state house in order, and I am roughly outlining below di- gest of the method propose to employ to this end if the people of the state see fit to entrust me with their affairs:
 As said above, our financial condition is most distressing. The state owes, in addition to the bonded debt, a sum estimated at from tn. ee to five million dol lars. This has been the accu- mutation of years, and for the existence of the condition I am not laying the blame upon any individual. or upon any particu- lar legislature. l would rather blame the system under which we are workin .-or rather, l should say, the lack of system.
 A legislature meets in Janu- ary, and the greater number of the members a. without expe- rience as legislators. A gover- nor is introduced into office a few days later. He also has had no opportunity to famjliarize himself with the details of the several departments of the state. Csnsecues---~- sAs is not prepared