The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-25
MANY SPEAKERS AT THE MASS MEETING Ministers and Business Men
 Oppose Pool Selling F. W. BARNETT oRESlDES Gambling Discussed and its influence Over Young Men Referred to-Ex-
 tracts From the Talks Made.
 The Last Meeting.
F. W. BARNETT oRESlDES

1 made by ministers and business men.
 The crowd that gathered was not so large as the one which assembled on Monday night at the Southside Bap- tist church, but it was moro enthusiastic and everyone who was called on to speak responded.
 Rufus N. Rhodes was to have presided but when the meeting opened the Rev Frank Willis Barnett stated that he had just received word that Mir. Rhodes was suffering from a sore throat and did not feel able to be present. However, he said that Mr. Rhodes wished him to say he was In hearty sympathy with the move ment.
 Feeling of Confidence.
 MT. Barnett presided He said: We may feel. because there are only few here. that this is not popular thing at all. I want to say that have been to number of stores and offices today to ask reopIe to come out and nearly everyone approached said they did not think 1t was necessary, that the fight was already won There seems to be feeling of con fidence that the bill will be defeated, ana for this reason 1t is hard to get large audience" MT. Barnett then read the bill, saying he had paid $3 for copy; mot to any legislator" he said, but for stenographic services. I wanted to be sure of the right bill, as there was some question over it last night"
 On account of being out of town and sickness most of the speakers who had been asked to talk were absent, only one being in the audience.
 The Rev. pr. Steele.
 The first speaker of the evening was 1 the Rev l. D. Steele. He said in part: q do not speak as a minister of ihe l gospel clothed in ecclesiastical authority, but speak to you as citizen, and have the right to speak as citizen, and every minister has the same right. We r'in- isters should vote. l vote in the pri- maries, and in the general elections, and all who love to see their country trI- umph in the right, and justice reign, ought to use this right which belongs to every man in the state
 'I am here to enter protest against this bill which comes before US under the guise of fair, by permitting pool. selling or gambling on races.
 q want to say that the president of the fair association had the best fair last year we ever had in the character of displays. If the people will stand up as they should do we can have successful fairs without introducing the gambling clement"
 Continuing, Dr. Steele spoke of the in- fuences exerted by gambling in any form and said that of all evils 1t was the worst. In closing he saiG "I say, where are the fifty business men who would go to Montgomery and use their influence to pass this bill?"
 Prof. w. T. Taylor, upon being called upon by MT. Barnett, said he was not prepared to make a speech, but he want ed to be counted among the number who were present, to show that he was strong ly opposed to the bill He referred to times when pool selling was allowed and closed by saying T want to enter protest against anything that will hurt your boy or mne'
 | Talked Like Geese.
 Dr. A. N. Ballard was called upon. He said T don't know how I can express how feel about this matter. I was on a crowded car several years ago when pool | selling was allowed. People had just come from the fair grounds. Not only were men and boys talking about what they had won or lost, but women, too, were talking. They talked like geese. The talk on that car was just pool pool, pool, except incidentally l heard one woman say she wondered where the chil- dren were. I do not want temptations put in the way of our young men, and am in favor of no measure that will bring 1 damnation and death to the community, and I join with you in protesting against it."
 1 NJ. P. Messer, upon being asked to say something as representative of the bond companies, said that questions asked an applicant were if he was sober, his occu- patton, his habits, etc. He was opposed to the bill, and in referring to young men said, Let us place influence around them that will save them from destruction
 Mr. Bum, who is connected with the government railway service, stated that during his fifteen years experience every | young man who had stolen money, could | trace it back and find it was the result or gambling, ana that the wee ol BdlH- bling Is doing more to ruin young men than anything else"
 The people, he said, who want to sell pools come here for what they get out of it, what they will get from the pockets of the young men of the city. ]. D. Collins was called on to speak from the merchants side of the question. | He said he was not in the habit of mak- | ing speeches, but wanted to protest against the bill. He said: So far as this bill is concerned, the better class of mer- chants oppose 1t. I know there are some | merchants who unthoughtedly are of the opinion it will be beneficial, but they | are few"
 | Professor F, M. Roof made a short talk. saving he was always ready to speak | against what he believed to be wrong. | and for what he believed to be right. He said: For fifteen years have labor ed to teach the boys of Alabama what I believed to be right and that character was worth everything. The wealth of l Alabama lies not in the cotton fields. in l her coal mines or in her iron. but in the l intellectual and moral character of her | citizens"
 | Had Sworn Out Warrant. | Frank Leslie responded toTa call from | the chair He said he swore out the 1 warrant that stepped pool selling when