The age-herald., 1900-11-13
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE


 Success will attend thy endeavors and thy money and business will increase; in thy domestic affairs also thou wilt have | joy"
 "The young will court or marry" "A child born on this day will be very clever, well-conducted. and a great fla vorite with all; it will be very successful in all it undertakes and will rise rapidly in life."
 Brew strong drink; hire maidservants."
 Astrologer Raphaeis prophecies for Wednesday, November H. 1900:
 Avoid superiors and ask no favors"
 Beware of law and quarreling, and keep myself very quiet; see to thy business or it will fail; those in employ may expect to lose it.
 "The eyes of the State" are again lon Montgomery;" turned thither in the regular course of biennial political and legislative events. In the spring time of every other year politics sows the seeds in old Mont gomery's fructifying soil, and in the No yember following Montgomery reaps the more or less abundant political and legisla- tive harvest. The reaping is now begun in rather more toll and turmoil than usual, and so there is good reason for the State to turn its eyes to the capitol in the cap ital. Unobservant men are accustomed to say bi-ennially that "this Is the most im- portant session of the legislature held in many years," and there is abundant fam doodle about the duty of the 'solons.' '' And by way of explanation to the nowa- days public, it is proper to say that "so- lons' is the rustic title for lawmakers in general. There have been occasions when observant men considered "buffoons' a more appropriate title than "solons;' but there are some most excellent men in the legislature this year, and truly they have work of the utmost importance awaiting to be done. There is reason to hope that when this work is done it will be done well and wisely. This is not a time for nonsense or for skyscraping rhetoric, and it is hoped that Speaker Pettus will sup press the first evidence of rhetorical rub Dish in the House. q rise in my seat, sir sir-sir''-and that sort of thing there Is no time for. Happily the Senate doesn't gush much. There is work to be done. and whoever shall delay that work by long -winded and rhapsodical speeches will be something of a public enemy.
 The State most seriously objects to it's "eyes' seeing any nonsensical or boyish performances at Montgomery; the State demands that its work be attended to with much wisdom and as little delay as may be. Much has been said to the effect that the present Legislature is the strongest of many years" That may be so but by its works shall it be known. It Is common knowledge that it contains strong men, good men, in both houses. Maybe they will be strong enough to keep the Legislature down to steady business.
 The greatest two evils aff1icting the pop ulation of Alabama are concealed weapons and deadly drugs, and strong third are impure and fraudulently marked foodstuffs. If the present Legislature should do noth- ing more than to abate the monstrous vices of deadly weapons and deadly drugs every member would be entitled to a life pen sion and the Legislature would win the title of greatest of all lawmaking as- semblies of this country. Deadly weapons have already made the name of Alabama a reproach to the civilized world, and dead ly drugs are hastening the work of ruin. The two vices are a burden which in a moral sense is running Birmingham and Jefferson County, and other communities and counties we'll
 In beats 21 and 37 of Jefferson, in which is Birmingham proper, there is virtually a premium on carrying concealed weapons. A man in those beats who offends the law against such weapons is tried before the Inferior Criminal Court where his fine is not less than $50, with perhaps $2.50 costs. If a man in beat g. or Elyton, which adjoins Birmingham, is arrested for carrying con- cealed weapons he must answer to the Jef- ferson County Criminal Court, where the fine cannot be less than $50; with $30 solic- itors fee and other fees added, raising the cost to the accused to about $1OO; or, say, $4750 more than if he lived in beat 21 or beat S7. What is true of beat is true like wise of every other beat in the county; all beats except 21 and 37 coming under the direct and general jurisdiction of the Jef- ferson County Criminal Court. The point is, and 1t is one which engages the serious at- tention of bench and bar alike, that fees and costs in the two criminal courts should be equaliZed. It should cost a law-breaker as much to violate the law as judged by one court as it does if judged by the other MT. Thirty-eight Bully in Birmingham should be punished as MT. Forty Bully in Elyton. What is justice for a suburban res ident should certainly be justice for res ldent or the city proper To be fully pre- pared to commit murder within the shadow of the courthouse should be as expensive as to be fully prepared for adding new mounds to the old graveyard at Elyton.
 A bill will be forthwith introduced in the Legislature at Montgomery which will di- rectly affect the administration of justice in Jefferson. The bill will seek to provide for second division of the Criminal Court. There seems to be an imperative demand for this additional court on account of the Yapidly-increasing pressure of work on Judge Greene's court. The population of Birmingham and the county at large is in- creasing with remarkable rapidity, but scarcely so rapidly as the increase in crime. Every sort of crime, from murder to com mon theft, Is alarmngly on the increase, and whilst juries constantly recreant