The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-07
Majority and Minority Reports
Cause a Very Lively
Discussion
KING OF JEFFERSON
MAKES An ADDRESS
Senate Votes to Allow the People to
Decide Matter of Changing Plan
of Holding ouadrennial
Sessions of Legislature.


Montgomery February 6.-(SpeciaL)-
The most exciting feature of the legls-
lative session today was the contest IN
the House over the local option bill, ON
which vote was not reached. TINS
bill has attracted more attention than
any other liquor measure that has been
before the legislature for several years.
and has brought to the city larger num-
Der of people working on both sides of
the question than any other issue during
the present session.
The matter came up on two reports
from the committee on temperance, one
a majority and the other a minority.
The former advised the passage of the bill
as originally drawn, which provides for
local option with the county as the unit,
while the latter is different only in that
1t advises the precinct or city as the
unit In other words. according to the
majority report, the citizens of the county
may vote liquor entirely out, while the
incorporated towns and cities might de-
sire to keep 1t.
This kind of a provision would make
it possible, for instance, for Montgom-
cry county to eliminate whisky from
Montgomery city, or the voters of Jeffer-
son county might put The traffic entirely
out of Birmingham. ard ~ the other
cities. Because of this possibility, in
which might produce great changes in
the business of all the Alabama CEN
ters, there was the greatest interest
in the minority report. This report was
offered by Mr. Goodwin of Montgomery,
who argued that there had been no de-
mand for the county unit, and the adop-
tion of 1t would be disastrous to the
business interests OF the cities, as well
as depriving the cities of the right to
do as they please about It, Each COM
munity ought to be allowed to settle this
question for themselves according to the
argument presented by Mr.. Goodwin.
Kings Hot Speech.
Mr.. King of Jefferson made a right
hot prohibition speech. He said that
the members of this Legislature We're
going on record on the whisky question,
and, In his opinion, it Is the most I'M
portant issue now before the body. He
believed that Mr.. Goodwyn's speech would
be very gratifying to the saloon men
of Birmingham, and play right into their
hands. 1t was his opinion that the liquor
business is disastrous and hurtful in
every way, and had to be placed under
the most rigid and careful control. The
party had demanded local option and
Mr. King believed that the county unit
was In line of the spirit of the platform.
Mr.. Fuller of Bibb also made an earnest
argument in favor of the measure.
The House provided for the question of
ba with rpD1rd
to travel by all the members. bill was
passed to prohibit the sale of adulterated
cotton seed meal as fertilizer.
Because of additional clerical errors,
the general appropriations bill was re-
called from the governor for the third
time.
People to Decide.
The Senate by the closest vote possible
went on record today in favor of submit
ting to the people a constitutional amend
ment changing the plan of holding quad
rennial sessions of the legislature to
biennial sessions. The matter came up
as a special order for the day to con-
slider the bill to this effect, introduced
by Mr.. Jones, adversed by the commit
tee on constitutional revision. and taken
from the adverse calendar by small
vote. After the discussion the vote was
taken and the bill passed the Senate by
it takes exactly 21 Of the 30 senators to
authorize such an action.
Mr. Jones made a magnificent fight
for the measure against what appeared
to all to be overwhelming odds. Mr..
Spraglns of Huntsville undertook to choke
the debate by moving indefinite post
ponement This was lost.
The friends of the measure include
Mr.. Jones, Mr.. Merritt. Mr.. Hammer,
Mr.. Hamburger; Mr.. Lowe, Mr.. Bar
hour, Mr.. McWhorter and Mr. Moody.
The opponents, led by Mr.. Spragins,
were Mr. Reid and Mr.. Thomas.
Mr. Reid and Mr.. spragins having been
members Of the constitutional conven-
tion, were naturally opposed to any
movement that would change the opera
tions as laid down by that instrument
Mr.. Thomas took the position that the
movement was wholly unnecessary and
that the constitution had not really a
chance for a fair trial. Several OF the
friends of the measure insisted that 1t
could do no harm to allow the people to
express themselves on 1t, arguing that
had a right to the opportunity of vot-
ing.
Pretty Tilt.
very pretty little tilt took place be-
tween Mr.. Thomas and Mr.. Hammer. Mr..
Thomas was arguing that the new con-
stitution had accomplished a great many
valuable things, among them reducing
the number of local bills and making 1t
possible to legislate in a general way
to better advantage.
Receiving permission to ask the speak
er a question, Mr.. Hammer inquired what
this had to do with biennial sessions?
Mr.. Thomas replied. Gentlemen of this
House may present thoughts on this floor,
but they cannot always provide men of
intelligence to comprehend them" With
that Mr.. Thomas continued his speech.
Mr. Thomas had Jokingly said while
speaking that his Job senator was
better than the one he had held before,
that of a peanut vender in a graveyard