The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-13
Bueck Patterns Montgomery Knowles Dry Goods Co.,

"A man with a concealed pistol in his pocket often forces an issue with an unarmed man when he would not do so | If he knew his adversary was also arm ed, and when the difficulty is begun acts with less consideration. It Is sad com mentary on our civilization to find so many men in defiance of law. but fear too much sustained by a public senti' ment promenading the streets as walk ing arsenal-a hip-pocket avenger of his imaginary wrongs and defender of his reputation.
 q charge you, look carefully to this violation of law, and return bills in such cases regardless of the parties. for the law gives no discretion. By so doing you protect, as best you can, the law-abiding from the lawless, and this Is the only | way to break up the hip-pocket practice. As to election frauds Judge Thomas l said:
 "It is also made the duty of the judges to direct the grand jury to inquire into all illegal voting. and also all illegal acts committed by officers of election. Since my last charge no primary or general election has been held, but the statute is imperative that I charge on this important question. We must recog- nize the demands of honest citizenship by giving honest elections. And when beg you lnNeSuBdte anu HluICl lOh NAOAdliohS of election laws, feel that you should take pleasure in doing the promptings of honest hearts. Let us acknowledge the fact that no man can with impunity in- terfere with the free exercise of the cleo tive franchise by his neighbor.
 "Our Governor strikes the keynote for honest elections when he, in his recent message. said: We have come to honest elections in this State Whatever may
 
 fication of frauds heretofore, there is no further occasion for anything short of absolutely honesty in both the primary and the election. The man hereafter who shall sin thus Is entitled to, and must receive. the strongest condemnation of our penal statutes and the scorn of our citi- zenship.'
 Your attention is now directed to the dangers of bribery, which is a growing evil of the whole country. Under Sec ton l95 of the new constitution, any per- son who shall pay the poll tax of another. or advance him money for that purpose, in order to influence his vote shall be guilty of bribery. and upon conviction they shall be imprisoned in the peniten- tiary for not less than one nor more than five years.
 "The mind recolts al the conduct Of the man who falls to the temptation of gold But. do we so regard his tempter. who came to him from plenty. filled with an unholy ambition to be called by title. or to rob the public of right? Do we turn In disgust from the taker and walk half a block out of the way to speak to the man who gives the brlbe? I note with pleasure the last legislature included the bribe giver as well as the bribe talSer, and if bribery comes to your knowledge, don't forget to indict the briber first for he will go on with his corruptions, while the taker will not worth his buying again.
 Charge on New Statutes.
 There are statutes passed by the re- cent Legislature of such importance that think 1t my duty to call attention to them here for your information.
 The vagrancy law is broad enough, if enforced, to rid us of many objectionable characters leading idle, immoral or pro- higate lives. Its second section requires sheriff. constables. police. and town mar sbals to give information under oath to the proper officials of any one guilty of vagrancy. Let us not forget that this statute. as all others. Is made alike for white and black, for woman or man who violate its provisions. Being a penal statute. and not providing that 1t shall take effect immediately, does not become of force until thirty days after the ad- journment of Legislature and cannot now be considered by you.
 "Ths statnte providing the right of a charged with a misdemsanor, to elect to perform hard labor for the county rather than remain in jail await ing the action of trial court. has been so amended that the defendant. in event of his benig acquitted shall be paid by the county his earnings.
 This statute also makes it the duty of the committing magistrate. the sheriff, the Judge of Probate. and Clerk of Cir cult or City Court, to render to the grand