The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-20
DECIDED A TIE VOTE
senators Worked Late on
 OSteOpathy Bill.
Substitute Presented by Minority of Committee Requiring osteopaths
 to Go Before State Board
 Was Adopted Is to IT.
THE SENATE.

THE SENATE. | With the Senate tied, F to II, on the | question of tabling the substitute to the l osteopathy bill submitted by the commit tee, Lieutenant Governor Cunningham yesterday cast the deciding vote, sus- | taining the substitute measure, which, | after good deal of parliamentary maneuvering, was adopted and at a late | hour passed by the Senate. The battle on the osteopathy bill was | by far the hardest fought thus far at the | present session and the one in which the l deepest interest was felt by the public at large.
 The afternoon session, which did not end until S:10 ?. m., with the passage of the bill. was a lively one from start to finish. The gallery was crowded through out the day and until the adjournment, and the excitement at times during the session was intense.
 The bill as adopted and passed stipu- | lates upon what subject candidates for admission to the practice of medicine within the State shall be examined, with out reference to school or cult of any | kind. Osteopaths are free to enter as are the opponents of all schools, but they must do so in the regular way A con- | cession, however, is that they need not be | examined in major surgery If they do not desire such examination and do not | intend to practice surgery. The examina- | ton of candidates Is left with the regular State Medical Board
 The Senate was called to order at the
 usual hour by Lieutenant Governor Gun
 ningham, with thirty-one members i present.
 Senate bill 1O9. the Greater Montgomery l bill, and House bills IA and 4S0, having
 passed both houses, were signed by the l presiding officer.
 The call by districts brought only three new bills and these were not q grcai | general interest.
 Important Bills Passed.
 Some bills of considerable importance | b"sides the osteopathy bill were passed | Among these were House bills S4 and 454 | by MT. Werner, authorizing the boards l of revenue and courts of county commits
 sioners in the several counties of the | State as well as cities and towns. to
 hold elections for the purpose of authoriz- ing the issue of bonds for contracting or | paying debts incurred in constructing public buildings or for other purposes. House bill 147, by MT. Bankhead, to | amend Section 1256 of the Code was also | passed
 House bill IT, the osteopathy bill. with | a substitute by the minority committee pending, was taken up at the hour ap- pointed, Il: 30 o'clock.
 Senator Harrison of Lee for the minori- ty of the committee addressed the Senate in behalf of the substitute.
 The Senator from Lee declared he was convinced there was merit in the practice of the new school of medicine. but that 1t was not sufficient to warrant turning down the regular school in the manner contemplated by the majority in the com mittee in the bill that majority had re- ported favorably. The medical system as established In the State, he said, had been the work of twenty-five years, and 1t was to this system and to the physi- clans 1t represents. that the State looks for protection against contagious diseases of all sorts.
 Osteopaths Want Advertisement.
 He stated that the minority had de- sired to give the osteopaths re- lief from examination in major surgery and materia medica, and without making any inroads upon the present medical organization, which he declared had done more than any other for the welfare of the State. The minori- tv decided that it could not recognize specifically any school or cult, and was not willing by establishing special board of examiners to throw the whole subject of medical practice in the State into con- fusion. He expressed the belief that the appeal made by the osteopaths was in- tended mainly to serve as an advertise ment for that particular school. He in sisted that the members of all schools should stand on the same footing.
 Senator Powell, of Butler, for the mi- nority, declared that the present ques- A. ,,.AN NvAAn 1N nVRd that he had given both sides his most careful consideration.
 "The osteopaths ask to be admitted to practice in the State,' said he. "The Medical Board says we are willing they should come in, but since there are cer- tain principles recognized by all schools, including the osteopathic, as the basis of Medical science, we have laid down certain rules.
 "The legislation sought is calculated to tear down the health laws that have stood for years as a bulwark for the protec- ton of the State. Since all the subjects upon which examination Is required are taught at the Kirksville school what cause have the osteopaths for complaining of hardship? They are presumably informed on these branches. Why. then. should they he exempt from examination? The issue is not between the osteopaths and the aIlopaths. but between the osteo- paths and the State of Alabama. and we hold that one school should not be ele- vated over another"
 "Footprints of Pioneers"
 "The path of progress has ever been marked by the bloody footprints of pion- eers," said Senator Rodgers, speaking for the majority. He recalled how investiga- tors in all ages had been persecuted for daring to take a step in advance of the conservatives and declared the present case an example.
 The Senator from Sumter paid tribute to Mrs Ligon. the champion of the new science in the present fight. and declared that she would need all the courage she possessed
 "The question is between the people of (Cnntinnad nn Paoa TunN