The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-14
UNwARRANTED INTERPRETATION

the forefront of prohibition forces in Ala bama, and of Senator Underwood himself, clearly repu6iate the insidious attempt of the Birmingham Evening News to propagandize the thought that Senator Underwood's vic tory on Tuesday was a defeat of the prohibi- tion wing of the Democratic party in Ala bama. l This subtle, but nonetheless patent, will ingness of the Evening News so to character ize the Underwood triumph was evidenced by its publication over the election news of a caption reading as follows: "Klan Opposi- tion And Prohis Fail To Defeat Solon." This play by the Evening News to lead its readers to believe that MT. Underwood's suc- cess was a defeat for prohibition came at a moment when the Underwood leaders and those identified with the prohibition move nent in this state were shoulder to shoulder in the determination to present Alabama's dis tingushed son to the nation as it's candidate for the presidency. The publication of this caption by the Birmingham Evening News reflects upon thousands of loyal prohibi- tiomists who accepted Senator Underwood's assurances on that question, and tends im- properly to extend the suggestion that pro- hibitionists in Alabama had no faith in Sena- tor Underwoods professions of intention as to the enforcement of the liquor statutes. When asked whether he ''regarded the vic tory of Senator Underwood as victory over the prollbitieaists of AIabama,' Chairman Tunstall emphatically replied: II do not This reply of Mir. Tunstall was given in the presence of a group of men at the Underwood headquarters Wednesday night and MT. Tunstall put the question to them. Those present were unanimous in the opinion that no such interpretation could properly or possibly be placed upon the results of Tues days election.
 Dr. Crumpton. when asked the same ques- tion, replied "I regard the indorsement given Senator Underwood Tuesday the greatest victory won by the prohibitonsts of Alabama since the adoption of the constitu- tional amendment. When Senator Under wood pledged himself to rigid law enforce ment he practically surrendered all opposition to prohibition. When he took the stand for law enforcement his friends who in the past had opposed prohibition did not desert him, and thas took their stand with him in his platform of law enforcement.
 Senator Underwood. in Washington in terview, declared himself unmistakably against any snch interpretation, for he ex pressed desire. that the Democratic national platform should contain plank to prohibit the traffic in liquor" and to enforce other constitutional guarantees, including freedom of speech, of the press and of religious wor ship.
 There were quoted also in The Age-Herad of yesterday morning other leaders in the prohibition movement who gave positive ex- pression against any such interpretation as that sought to be conveyed by the headline in the Evening News. Dr. B. F. Riley said "We prohibitionists have the utmost confi- dence in Underwood and his pledge of law enforcement. believe that large majority of the prohibition faction voted for him, and that he is indebted to them for this victory" Mr. John W. Sibley gave similar opinion T was highly gratified to note from the vote at our city boxes, with which I was most familiar that intelligent and patriotic pro hbitionists voted for Senator Underwood in overwhelming numbers Mir Borden Burr,
 Mr. T. $. Smith, Mir. r. w. Dixon and other prohibition advocates of prominence expressed agreement with the views thus quoted. Such testimony is to be taken as reliable indica- tion of the general prohibition attitude to- wards Mir. Underwood's candidacy.
 Can it be pre-supposed that the Birming- ham Evening News, with its liqnored-influ ence liaison with the Montgomery Advertiser, paper which, it was recently shown through United States senate investigation had a portion of it's stock financed by brewers, would like to see the election interpreted as the annihilation of the prohibitionist strength in Alabama? To credit the victory of Mir. l Underwood as d defeat of the prohibition wing of the Democratic party in Alabama is proved to be utterly wrong when the sen timent of distinguished prohibitiOnists in Alabama is produced in evidence. There is not even proof that the members of the Ku Klux Klan, which was coupled with prohi- bition in the News headline, unitedly opposed Mir. Underwood's candidacy, even though Mir. Underwood had expressed opposition to that organization. How much less reasonable to charge opposition to him on the part of pro hibitionists when, in unmistakable language and in declaration characteristic of his cour age, Alabamas senator emphasized his staunch adherence to the enforcement of the liquor laws and his opposition to any mod- fication thereof.
 It will be regrettable if this publication in the Evening News is disseminated in other