The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-21

fast passed through, and said that f the bill provided that there would not be another such light in four years. he would agree to support the measure. He was assured, he said, the bill would meet his wishes in that respect
 Claims Faith Was Breken.
 When the LegislafJre convened and the bill was introduced. he was aston ished to learn the bill provided another whiskey election could be held at the end of two years. He went to that gentleman and recalled the promise he had made. As result of that inter. view. tho gentleman assured him the bill would be so amended 1t would pro. vide that no elections could be held In dispensary towns Tor three years
 With that assurance. Senator Thomas said, he rested content. Friends who mad lead with him in the fight to drive out the open saloon and establish the dispensary. had come to him and asked him that something be done to prevent the re-or enlng of the old light. He assured them there was no danger of the two year provision. aud that 1t would be changed before it was put on flnal passage through the Legislature. He was aston!shed 10 learn that the amendment was not added to the bill. and that the bill yes now before the Senate with that provision in its orig inai form.
 T am therefore justified. Mir. Presi- dent, In saying that faith has been broken with me-" said Senator Thomas. Mir. Thomas said the men who had kept saloons in Eufaula proposed to cross the Chattahoochee River into the State of Georgia. and open saloons that would cater to the Alabama trade. Eu- fauls would get the dlsadvantage of the oren saloon. without It's benefits. He urged that the Senate should not force his people into a whiskey eiec. ton. for the whiskey element. which had been defeated in the dispensary fight. would unite to vote prohibition on the counry.
 Senator Overton said that In his opinion the bill had other objectionable features to It in the minds of the Sem ator from Barbour than those he had named. He thought the Barbour Sena. tor want ed the beat as the unit and nos the county As for him. he stood for the bill In its original form, He be- iieved the State had had a great moral and temperance awakening. and he pro. posed to do his rart to secure the es- tasilshment of that reform. He was for the bill tust as 1t came from the hand of his friends
 Reese In opposition.
 Aiiusion was made by Senator Reese to assertions made in some weekly pa- per that the men who had signed the minority report In the House were not friends Of temperance and were giv- ing aid and comfort to the whiskey peopls of the State. Two of those men were his close particular friends. and no more honorable or high toned men lived in the State and he resen- ted the criticism that had been made Of them. The amendment proposed by Senator Merritt did not concern his immediate section, for there was no dispensary there but he was for 1t because 1t was fair On its face.
 ''we have come upon strange doc- trines In these modern times" said Senator Reese. q had thought this was a deliberative body. for such 1t ia regarded and described by the constitution. had thought the Sem ate was to be made up of thinking men who would carefully consider the questions which arose. and act on them on their own responsibility. Such aprear to be the functions and duties of a Senator under the constitution. But a new doctrine has come into force, and our acts are done at the bidding of some vague unknown force outside Of the Senate Chamber. We are told that they are demanding this and they are demanding that and that we must do it, Why are they who are 90 htI poWerTuIT'
 Senator Reese declared he saw in the bill unfair features. and he discussed those features He would not be de- tered from that discussion. by any threats that his action would be crit. icized or that he would be regarded as giving comfort to the iiduor people. He had been told if he did not disre. gard his oath of ofice when the Sem ate was organized. he would be re- garded as an enemy of the admins. tration. and the new threat to class him with the friends of the whiskay clement would not deter him from do- Ing his duty as he saw it.
 He had perhaps. lost more in q bus. mess and financial way. because of hts advocacy of the cause of temperance than any man ain the Senate. for he had take that Side of the question when the figbt had been raised In his county.
 Merritt Amendment.
 MT. Lusk then moved to table the amendment offered by Senator Merritt. giving assurance that dlspensaries would not be disturbed within four years. The amendment was tabled by vote of IS to 14
 Senator Merritt then offared anothar