The age-herald., 1901-02-04
WILL FIGHT THE
 POOL SELLING BILL Pastors Will Take Up Matter at
 Meeting Today WILL CALL MASS MEETING pr. o. p. Fitzsimons Writes a Card Scoring the Proposed Measure
 Which He Says is Licens-
 ed Gambling.
WILL CALL MASS MEETING


 morning, will take up the poo-selllng bill which has been introduced into the lower house of the General Assembly giving the Alabama Fair Association the right to sell pools on horse races during it's annual fairs. and will probably call a mass meeting to protest against the measure
 It is understood that vigorous steps are being taken to fight the bill and the purpose of the mass meeeing will merely be to give expression to the sentiment against it. pr. o. P. Fitzsimons, rector of St. Mary s Church -on- the Highlands, has written the editor of the Age-Herald the following card, on the subject:
 Citizens of Birmingham who have respect for public morals will remember the com bined effort made two years since for re- form that resulted in the passage of the anti-pool bill, which was promptly approved by Governor Johnston.
 Nor will our people soon forget the vicious and demoralizing scenes that they witnessed the year before, that were so disgraceful as to invite denunciauon from press and pulpit.
 Now an attempt, an insidious attempt, is being made to throw wide open the gates for a revival of these dlsgraceful scenes and demoralzing influences.
 The press informs us that representa- tive from Jefferson County has introduced a bill to amend" the anti-pool law. Mr. O'Brien, with generous forethought, would save other cities and localities from it's per nicous influences, and reserve to Birming- ham and it's neighborhood the legal right to enjoy the benefit of unrestricted gam bling. Public sentiment was overwhelm- ing against these vicious practices two years ago that it is amazing that MT. O'Brien, who has once or twice been elected to office by the citizens of Jefferson County, should now introduce a measure so uni versally condemned It is the history of vice that it's approaches are gradual and insidous. It asks little at the beginning but mild toleradon, and then it soon grows strong enough to threaten and finally com mand Open the gates of Birmingham, and soon other cities and towns will feel it's pernicious and demoralizing influences. MT. O'Brien, it seems, proposes that Birming- ham shall enjoy a monopoly of licensed gambling for all time. Men who have the courage to stand for public morality and decency should bestir themselves and throt- tie this effort while it is yet in it's in- fancy.
 Is it possible that MT. O Brien thinks that Governor Sanford who has always been found on the moral side of every public question, will give his assent to such a bill? Instead of this bill entitled 'an act to amend the anti-pool law" it should be entitled "an act to license gambling and undermine the foundations of morality" It is pity that MT. O. Brien should not de- vote his great intellect to the passage of measures that will prevent fraud in pri- maries and general elections, to improving the finances of our State and to promoting the education of our children in the pub lie schools, instead of putting himself in the position of favoring gambling and vice.
 Perhaps some think that this bill only permits pool selling and gambling during that were all it should be promptly rebuked. but it is a fact that the language is so artfully framed that races and pool selling and gambling can be conducted in grounds tion every month and week and day in the year, and all this vicious privilege is con- fined in all the State to the vicinity of Bir- mingham, and gambling monopoly is ced- Association. O. P. FITZSIMONS.