The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-18

those counties that gave majoriues
 against the prohibition amendment in 1909.
 The old spirit of prosest has been re-
 vived. Governor ONeA has reminded
 the people of the warning given in that
 campaign that the aim and purpose of
 the. Anti-Saloon League was the destruc-
 tion of states rights and individual lib-
 erty the searching of homes without
 warrant and the illegal seizure of private
 property. He has shown them that the
 thing that they have feared has come upon them. The result is a revolution in public sentiment that will overturn many
 well-laid plans in the democratic pri-
 maries of May Il.
 I have talked to many of the men who
 have constituted the large audiences ad dressed by MT. O'Neal on this tour and have reached the conclusion that his strength is relatively greater in the rural precincts than in the towns, though his following in the larger cities is great and growing. Generally speaking, it was the farmers and the working men that de- feated the state constitutional amend ment in 1909, and it is the same farces that will furnish the greater part the O'Neal strength in this campaign. For ONeal is the only one of the five candidates for the Bankhead succession
 who has declared his opposition to the Volstead act, which he refers to as the force bilP' of the eighteenth amendment He is the only one of them who has openly advocated the modification of that act so as to permit the sale of light wines and beer, and the repeal of those sec tions which have the effect of abrogating the right of trial by jury and those under which unwarranted searches and seizures are being made. He is also pledged to seek the repeal of those sections creating q federal spy system for the enforcement l of the volstead law.
 Two of his opponents, Captain White and MT. Abercrombie, are in favor of l the law as it stands. Mir. Heflin says that ne voted for it and he is still in l that frame of mind, in 50 far as the pub | lie has been advised. MT. Rushton says that the question is not an issue in this campaign and dismisses the subject with 1 this statement
 For the first time in Alabama politics MT. Lawrence of the Anti-Saloon League and Governor O'Neal are agreed on one thing: Both say that while the Congress | of the United States has the power to determine what constitutes an intoxicat- 1 ing beverage, this question will remain an issue in electing men to the Senate and national House of Representatives that those who refuse to face the issue
 now are merely avoiding an issue which Congress most certainly will be required to face.
 |. During the latter part of tour in South ern Alabama, the weather was bright and 1 clear, following a long siege of rain. The farmers were behind in their blowing and planting. Yet. in spite of all this, they fiocked to the county seats and chief towns to hear the ex-governor's plea for return to the ancient principles of democratic government. They came, they applauded, then returned to their blow ing and planting. It is my opinion that they will plant the spirit of protest in their respective communities with as l much energy as they plant their cotton, corn, peanuts and velvet beans on a bright April day, and that the harvest will be many votes for the candidate for the Senate who voices their views in favor of more personal liberty and less | taxation and that candidate is Emm ct Q'Nea1.