The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-16
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Ia ballot to get Alabama out of the mud
 know you are tired out with the whole campaign. but the reason l am inflicting this last appeal, comes from the fact that I know how prone Ameri- cans are to let George do it." and this may result in the defeat of the bond issue.
 For weeks club speakers and the papers were, busy in a poll tax propa- ganda, and the results were most grat- flying. More than s6O,OOO being paid by men who value their franchise and swelling the voting lists in the country ! in the neighborhood of s5.OOo This looks as if at last our people are aroused to the value of citizenship
 But the acid test after qualifyins IS to get out and cast your ballot. Now here is where I am afraid there is so- ing to be slump. It's gotten out that the bond issue will carry over whelmingly and it's easy for busy man to say, "well, that being the case I think will stick to my desk" The trouble is too many are reasoning in the same way It's not enough to carry the election: it ought to be ratified with big majority
 I was talking just a few days ago with friend from North Carolina. and he told me that the city of Ashe- vile, where he lived. and in the coun-' ty of Buncompe. in which if is sit uated that in spite of the fact that ir the past large sums of money had been unwisely spent on the highways. l that no man running for an office could hope to be elected by the people unless he was enthusiastically committed to good roads
 MT. good friend. the saintly Dr. Da vidson, for years pastor of the South side Baptist church of this city, and now spending his rich and fruitful life in his old age as a good shepherd in Livingston, had way of receiving peo- ! pie into the church which always struck me as being typical of his great heart, for instead of putting their re- ception in the usual formaN way call- ] ing for the ayes and nays, he would i say, Let all those in favor of receiv- ing this good brother or consecrate
 sister. or dear child, say aye" Then
 he would pause and continue, If such l thing be possible, and any one pres ent wishing to vote nay now may do so."
 1 He put the negative in such man ner as to make 1t out of the ques- 1 tion, and bad form. Well, that is, the
 way I feel about this present bond issue. I want the "ayes" given every chance possible to go to the polls, but lif there should be those who are against I at least hope that the reads they will have to travel to get to their voting precincts will be so bad a s to keep them at home.
 1 few weeks back, while serving as
 juryman. it was my privilege to hear
 Judge B. M Allen address the juries
 on the question: of the bond. issue, He
 made forceful talk and had the clos
 est attention. At the close Charles L. Harold, arose and said, While Judge Aliens plea covered the various points.
 he omitted to urge ths automobile own
 CTS to get out and work for the is- sue.rs In that inimitable way of his, I the judge replied, T never forgot 1t. | for any owner iof a car who is against {, it. ought to be bored for hollow horn. 1 If the bond issue is not bowling success, it cannot be charged against
 the men to whose tender mercies it , of the Alabama Highway Improvement
 Association. and his able coadjutors have sowed the state down with ar. tractive literature. William r. Fea- gin has made a whirlwind speaking
 campaign throughout Alabama. and
 Dave Holt has kept the press full of readable good roads propaganda, while the county. chairman and the speakers have done themselves proud.
 Harper's cartoon in The Age Herald
 or Friday the 18th, Vote for the Bond Issue; Everyone Drives Around
 a Mud Hole,' was a picture sermon; a most forceful indictment of the aw ful condition of the roads in this state It was not only a sermon, but a proph- ecy for. unless Alabama remedies the
 situation. new enterprises-truck trade and auto tourists-will pass il /, by for our sister states. which had the foresight 10 build highways.
 The law under which the money will
 be spent was carefully drawn to pro-
 tect the interests of the people. The Alabama Highway Commission which
 has charge of the work on, state and
 federal roads is composed of one mem Der from every congressional district
 the state geologist and the professor
 of engineering at Auburn. These mer
 are required by law to see that eacf
 county gets it's full share of the roads
 to te built under the bond issue and
 that these highways are maintained
 when bnilt.
 county seat to county seat and to~tht
 state line in bord CT coupties. with bono issue and federal money aid without
 expense 10 the coun.i,.. This will en. l able the counties to spend all of the
 money, time and labor at their dis
 posal for road construction 70 improve