The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-19

of having done the right as l saw the right and impelled only by the desire to aid and foster the welfare of the Alabama Press association in the thirty-siXth year of it's existence.
 That the year has been a strenuous one in the history of the association, 1 need not recount to a membership whose stock in trade Is keeping up with the hap penings of the world, but looking back as l am laying the burdens of office down, despite an unfriendly legislature domnal- ed for time by a seemingly vindictlYe governor, suffering from 'demenua Syla- cauga, or some similar hypochondriaeal complaint, the efforts of both aimed at the life and existence of the organization it is with pardonable pride I san say, Rgiht prevails and the Alabama Press assoeia- tion still lives Need I say further that 1t will live long after governors and leg islators have passed into oblivion and con tinue to exemplify the purposes for which it was organized and in which it moves and has its being
 Looking Backward.
 Pursuant to the action of the assoeia- ton taken at Gadsden in accepting the invitation to visit Montgomery during the exposition of the Alabama Agricultural
  Vandlver, the association spent most delightful day as the guest of the fair association in October last II was the pleasure of your president to go to New York in company with the then governor of Alabama and MT. A. B. Kennedy or the Montgomery press, as committee 10 invite Hon. William J. Bryan to Ylslt Alabama. That the mission was fruitless was not the fault of the committee, but oxrif,r fp tarax-iotfq cso ppnpnIS which pre- vented the splendid orator and pure c5u- zen, the great ,commoner from attending and addressing the association upon the occasion of editors day at the fair,
 lnimicaI Legislation.
 Early in January upon the assembling of the legislature 1t was seen that legisla- ton inimicable to the best interests Of the Alabama Press association as viewed by your president, was imminent through the able efforts of your legislative com mittee assisted by your officers and seV- eral members an amendment was agreed upon by committee of the senate which would have averted what seemed a blow at the existence of the association IWlce the committee stood firm for the proposed amendment which declared that nothing contained in the pending bill should be construed as preventing the exchange or transportation for advertising space In newspapers at the regular rates charged the general public.
 Governor lnterposed.
 But the chief executive of the state to whom the constitution gives only au- thority to recommend and suggest leSls- lation interposed his personal ukase at a meeting in his private residence around his private board and the com mittee like King Georges army, having nf1 marched down again. The rest is unnecessary to re- port to you The antl-pass measure was passed and signed, but even at this good day 1t Is not a law, awaiting the limitation of the provisions of the code which owing to an oversight on the part of the lafs' framers in not expressly making it immediately effective, has held 1t up thirty days after the final adjourn ment of the legislature. The keen Italian hand, however, in another measure, sen ate bill 43 accomplished the purpose sought and the constitutional right of conducting his business as he saw Tt was denied the newspaper man in Alabama.
 Foreign Advertising.
 Tt was with keen regret that l cannot report to you the incorporation of the weekly membership of the association into an organization to control and regu- late the important matter of foreign ad- vertising The chairman of the commit tee will doubtless tell you of the reasons thus far delaying the matter. Let me say that no one thing sought by this assocla- tion will be more beneficial in my opinion than the carrying out of the project so exhaustivey investigated and so lucidly and painstakingly presented by the com mittee on foreign advertising, of which Brother w. T. Wear Is the chairman. It is Just on they |. of consummation and trust that my Successor will be enabled to report to you a twelve months hence the existence of the foreign advertising agen- cy and its great success, the one being sure to follow the other, in my opinion.
 Te Grim Reaper.
 During the past year since your an nual meeting, the Grim Reaper has stalk ed in our midst, calling from life to life the veteran editor and life member of our association, William NJ MeelSs, the faithful friend and honorary member of the association, Capt. Jefferson NJ. FanI- ner and the Grand Old Man and honorary member of the association, Senator John T. Morgan. In the name of the associa tion I sought in the hour of sorrow to express to the loved ones something of the grief universally felt by each member in their mutual loss. I trust that the committee on necrology will further voice the grief of the association in suit able resolutions and the usual setting aside of a page in the minutes.
 Looking Forward.
 Looking backward while the labor has not been easy, I feel that it has not been in vain. Looking forward, l can but see for my successor and for the be- loved association much success and great achievements. There Is a work for the Press association of Alabama and for each individual member to do. The des- tiny of a great state. the hope of It's future glory, the development of it's won derful resources are dependent upon it's newspapers and never yet have they faltered in discharglng the duties die tated by the patriotism and unsellshness inherent in them. I would urge you. therefore. to buckle on anew the armor of progress and side by side, elbows touching, lead on as ever, until Alabama the first in the roll call of states, shall stand first in the happiness of it's in- comparable people, first in the develop ment of its matchless resources and first in the unsulied honor of it's unimpeaeh- able citizenship