The age-herald., 1899-01-27
THE MINISTER'S VS.
 THE LIQUOR MEN
Delegation of Both Go to Mont
 gomery.
DISPENSARY BILL DISCUSSED
By Almost Every One in Birmingham Yesterday Liquor Men Say Its Be- coming Law Would Be Severe Blow
 to Commercial Interests.

The passage of the dispensary bill by the Alabama senate has created widespread interest ia Birmingham and is the principal | topic of conversation throughout the city. The ministers are jubiant over their great victory in getting the bill through the sen- ate, and are themselves surprised at the l landslide vote 1t received.
 Their energy has not abated in the least, but they will continue the work of advo- eating the measure and will make hard On the other hand, the saloon men have redoubled their forces. and will make sharp struggle to save the saloons large delegation of prominent liquor dealers and friends of their side left for the capital city yesterday morning, where they will stay until some disposition of the bill is made The fight promises to be a warm one and both factions have gone in to win.
 Pastors Held Meeting
 The Pastors union held another meeting yesterday morning and selected delegation to represent them at Montgomery. On this list are the names of many prominent cit- zens, and the ministers feel quite sure that l.leir interests will not suffer from the com mittee's management. MT. Vincent chair man of the executive committee, would not give out the names last night but said sev- eral of Birminghams most influential men hau been spoken to. At this meeting a com- mittee consisting of Dr. Davidson, Southside Baptist church; pr. G. c. Kelly First Methodist church, and Dr. A. B. Curry, was also appointed to look after getting up more politicians and to make arrangements for a hall for holding a mass meeting, if they deemed it wise and necessary. Dr. Kelly was seen last night and said that as yet the committee had not decided about the mass meeting, but that numerous signed petitions were being received daily from ad joining towns and precincts. Communica- tions have also been received from Hunts vile and other cities, and the work there is progressing nicely.
 Doctor, do you think the bill will pass through the house?'
 "Yes,'' he replied. 'I should think the impetus it received in the senate ought to be able to send it through"
 Speaking of the saloon mems fight, he said, '1t has come to the question of our running the saloons, or the saloons running us, and am heartily in favor of taking the upper hand and running them." A Liquor Mans View
 MT. Wise, of the liquor house of M. Wise & Co.,, said yesterday that in his opinion if the bill becomes a law it would be blow to the commercial interests of Bir- mi "a from tyh cb recover.
 If the bill is passed" said he, there will De at least forty vacant business houses in this city and the property owners will na-, turaly suffer. With Selma, Mobile and Montgomery exempted a great amount of our business will be transferred to those cities, which we think unjust.
 About th's time another prominent busi- ness man joined in the conversation and remarked: If the law could be carried out it might possibly do good but when ever such thing is put on our people, there will be at least fifty blind tigers going on besides the hundreds of walking dis pensaries who issue it from the overcoat Carolina. It will also simply beat the prop erty owners, as they cannot now afford to lose this rent.'
 This seems to be the concensus of opinion among the liquor dealers and on this point their fight will likely be made.
 Will Not Affect Birmingham
 James E. Webb, who had the steering of the bill in charge at Montgomery, said they were much gratified at their first success and yUOlId tn he it was finally voted upon. Upon being asked how he thought the law, if enacted would affect the business of Birmingham he said:
 Why, look at Greensboro. There is no more prosperous town in the state and they have prohibition. Of course, it will hurt the saloon men, but the money that is spent there can be spent in the other houses and their sales will increase in proportion to the decrease in the liquor profits
 "In the governor of South Carolinas re- port he states that the dimunition in the sale of whisky in that state has been 67.7 per cent. Now then what becomes of that money? Naturally it is spent somewhere and if a man can't spend it for liquor he will spend it for other things of which his family or himself is needful. This. of course, will increase the various other branches of business
 Well, then, what do you think of the likelihood of the bill passing?' q think it will become a law he said. We already have four of the Jefferson delegation promised and with that majority l see nothing to prevent its passage"
 Augusta Strike at an End