The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-17


 formed againss the selling Of whis- key. But they do not Indicate 1t half so much as the triumphant passage of the local option bill which was en- dorsed by the ntiSaloon League. The instant favor with which this bill met was surpris to many we'll informed people.
 It was not known then, but 1t devel- oped later that the Anti Saloon League had conducted both an intelligent and an effective campaign for the local option bill, endorsed by the League. Thechurches throughout the State had become interested in 1t, and unknown to the liberal element. every member Of the Legislature, in the House and in the Senate, had been approached in the interest of the local option Dill. Church peope throughout the rural districts and in the smaller towns es- peeiaily had brought influence to bear on their representatives and great many pledges had been given.
 Members Came Pledged.
 As a result of this campaign. that be- gan many months before the primary, as many members of the Legislature came to Montgomery pledged to vote for the ALti-Saloon Leagues local op- tion bill IS came pledged to vote for the railroad policies of afr Conner.
 
 of the bill was astonishing. There was nothing that could stop it.
 Two heavy attacks were made on the bill on the grounds that while it was labeled as a local option bill, 1t was in truth a prohibition bill The first attack was unsuccessful. The original bill named the county as unit. An effort was made to have that provision of the bill changed so that the unit fin all local option contests should be the beat instead of the county. But the supporters of the beat units were easily defeated. Then an attempt was made to have all in- corporated towns made a unit while the rural districts outside the incor porated towns should be another unit. This effort was also unavailing.
 At length a successful effort was made to- change one feature of the bill which had been generally endorsed. One particular provision in the bill had been subject to attack since its until the bill was about to pass the Senate The original provision was to the effect that, if a county went wet in a local option election 1t could have another election in two years and have .he whole fight over again The same provision declared that if a county went dry, 1t was dry for All time and there could be no more wfiquor cleo tions. But the Senate changed this so that a wet county and dry county were put upon the same footing after an election under the local option law.
 The prime feature of the bill, the one to which 1t owes its opposition from the livuor men of the State, Is the one which permits the easy calling of a whiskeyN election. An election can be called under the provisions of the bill by a petition signed by one-fourth of the voters of county. The petition Is filed with the Probate Judge to set the machinery of the election in mo- tion.
 DIspensary BmI similar.
 The machinery of the Moody Dispen- sary bill is practically the same as the local option act, and elections can be held under it with the same ease. The two bills are not antagonistic. The Moody act provides that elections for or against dispensaries can be held under the same regulations governing the holding of wet and dry elections. The same number of voters can call a dis pensary election under the Moody bill as can call 1t under the local option bill It meets with the sentiment that prohibition does not prohibit. and that the dispensary is the solution of the whiskey question.
 
 assurance that in the next few years the State of Alabama will have many prohibition and dispensary fights. It is said that the saloon is now legally in business in but twenty counties of the State. The men who were active in the | local option fight announce that the | contest will be kept up, and that there | will be fights in every county where the | sentiment seems ripe for It. The State | leaders of the Anti Saloon League will 1 hold conferences with local. friends in those counties where they believe that a | winning fight can be made.
 ! This much is certain, that they are ! preparing to have prohibition and dis | pensary fights in many counties in Ala 1 bama, and that in a short while there will be number of whiskey fights in progress in various counties of the l State It is believed, however, that the counties of Mobile, Jefferson and ! Montgomery will be free from such a | fight for a number of years, although it is possible that the prohibitionists may spring an unexpected fight in one of | these counties.