The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-13
'o IL ts lON ON
 q.Gt OFFICIALS
We'll Known Pastor Addresses
 laa- Saloon eague
SENSATIONAL COMMENTS
Meeting of Anti-Saloon Men Adjourns Subject to the Call of the Presi- dent-Plans for an Active
 Campaign.

At the closing session of the annual convention of the Anti-Saloon League or Alabama yesterday morning, the Rev Dr. A. J. Dickinson, pastor of the First Baptist church, was invited to address the delegates. and responded with some pungent remarks touching the chief of police and the police commissioners. Among other things pr. Dickinson said:
 ''rhe people of Birmingham have just the regime of morals in civic matters they desired and voted for. At the last two elections the successful candidates had given notice to the voters by their acts, words and political affiliations that they would run the town open and knowing this, great bodies of the church and religious people voted for them. The present chief of police is a man of his word and is faithfully carrying out the pro- gramme he had promised when cand1- date in the matter of gambling. The po- lice commission was known to be favor able to the policy before election and had never gone back on what they then stood for before the public. Those who voted for a suppression of gambling were defeated by them by large majority, including preachers and many high in church coun- cils, and I cannot see where the people who had voted for such commission on this issue with their eyes open have any right to kick as they are getting exactly what they voted for.
 Dr. Dickinson then cited case re- gently brought before the police court or Birmingham, where man under infiu- ence of liquor had gone to gambling place and lost his money and afterwards, when sober, sought to recover. An et- fort, said Dr. Dickinson, was made by the mans attorney to proceed civilly and criminally against those who got ms money for keeping a gaming table.
 "The chief of police," continued Dr. Dickinson, instead of sending to make an arrest assured the attorney that the parties were among the boys and tele- phoned them to come up and after con- sultation with them docketed case of gaming, a misdemeanor instead of Keep ing a gaming table which was felony. They were fined by the judge $25 but held on to the larger amount gotten from the complainant" Dr. Dickinson said he did not blame the police for standing in with ''the boys" who elected their superiors. He had no hope, he said, for any im- provement in the public morals until the voters themselves would take higher plane of morals for their franchises at the polls The trouble with the so-called moral element, he said. was that 1t lacked political. sense. He hoped under the leader ship of the Anti-saloon league which had so brilliantly triumphed over Boss Cox in Ohio, that Alabama would improve In
 N~"nd oc men and policies elected to
 lblic service. He believed
 D lay wires and pull wires
 necessary to make good
 saw no reason why wires
 worked for improvement of
 ervice by those seeking that
 asked why he believed the
 ice authorities were elected to be dealing with gambling, pr. Dickinson replied that he noticed that the chief was elected by about the same vote as the commission and he had not as yet heard any one deny that these public servants were expected to assume the attitude they did.
 F The meeting of the league yesterday morning was called to order in the Sun day school room of the First Baptist church, with the Rev. Dr. w. B. Crump- ton of Montgomery, president of the league. presiding. After devotional ser vices and a short discussion of different matters the following officers were elect ed for a term of one year:
 The Rev. Dr. w. D. Crumpton, presi dent the Rev Dr. s. l.. Dobbs, vice president: the Rev. Dr. l. D. Steele, sec retary and treasurer; the Rev. Dr. w. NJ. Croman, Joe Lambert of Wilcox coun- ty, the Rev. Dr. McLendon and the Rev. o. P. Speigle, board of trustees. The Rev. Dr. McLendon was selected as trustee to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of James D. Norman, who has been elected state campaign man. ager
 The Rev. Dr. w. B. Crumpton delivered an address on What Is the Anti-Saloon League" and he was followed by the Rev. Dr. s. s. Wasson on Conditions in l Alabama" Both spoke of the good work | that could be accomplished by the league. i The Rev. Dr. G. W. Young of Louisville, assistant national secretary of the Anti Saloon league, also addressed the dele gates. After Dr. Young's speech the i league made plans to elect men to the legislature and senate who were in favor of perfecting laws not favorable to the whisky business or gamblers. The next meeting will be subject to the call of the