The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-13

that he spent his money for long dis
lance bills to call Blaekman up to tell
him how good he thought he was He
is also an enthusiastic admirer of the
MANDY" pictures in The Age-Herald
and contends that the state ought to
take a special pride in this, the only thing
of its kind now being produced by an
artist anywhere in this section of the
south.
Vagrancy Law
The present session is expected 70
adopt a very stringent vagrancy law.
A bill has been prepared which will be
introduced sometime next week and both
the house and the senate are prosecuting
its measures and will likely bring about
legislation which will provide for every
body working, even to the father. This
is, in fact no joke, for one of the fea-
lures of the law will be to prohibit
man from living In idleness, while his
young children support him in working
in factories or other places This will
strike directly at the practice of many
heads of families in the cotton mill dis
trictS who loaf around and do nothing
while their children support them. The
bill Will also cure the defect which has
so far made it impossible to enforce va
grancy law in any particular way. Tho
law now on the statute books places
the burden of proof to show that any
defendant is vagrant upon the state.
The new bill will provide that the de-
fendant must prove his inefflclency on
any charge that Is brought.
The bill will so on to set out who arc
| to be regarded as Migrants 1t will take
in loafers, those who live dscredited
lives of any kind, those who trade in
stolen property or in any way seek to
give comfort to thieves or persons who
sell Intoxicating drinks unlawfully, pa
rents who barter their children to the
support of the community, and those
persons generally who conduct them
selves in such way as to shock and
incite the people to distrust or indigna-
ton. One very important feature will
be the effort to reach the gambling evil.
1t will place the ban of violation upon
any Keeper, owner, proprietor or en-
ploye of any place where gambling Is
conducted. and will place the burden of
proof upon those who are charged with
offenSe. 1t will also put without the ban
of the law-abding, those persons from
16 years of age who have no visible
means of support and are not in at
tendance upon some educational institu-
ton.
Strikes and Lockouts.
A thoughtful provision of the measure
is that which applies to strikes and lock-
outs. Persons who are in this attitude
will not be liable for prosecution under
the Dill. Th1S feature OF the law will rem
der it popular in the Industrial sections
where the desire on the part of every
body is for not only themselves but
everybody else to keep busy, and make
It possible for the laboring element 20
support the measure without feeling that
1t will be used club to keep them
from recognized demands upon employees
when not satisfied with conditions An
other thing that will probably add to
its popularity is a section providing that
any judge before whom vagrant is
tried and convicted may accept a bond
from the defendant guaranteeing that
he will go to work and make of him
self or herself a good citizen of the
comm unity. This bond will hold good for
twelve months and in case of violation
the judge may have the party arrested
and apply the full penalty of the act.
Judges are required to charge the grand
jurieS as to this law and provision Is
made for the payment of solicitors The
supreme court of Alabama in constituting
the labor contract act has passed upon
the only doubtful feature of this bill,
that is, the section which puts the bur-
den of proof upon the defendant The
court held that in prima facle evidence
of guilt. guilt is presumed. and it be-
comes the burden of the accused to
prove that it does not exist.