The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-06
Brooks Lawrence Says Everyone Must Take Of Goat and
 GO to Work
UNION OBJECTS ID USE
 MADE OF PUBLIC MONEY
Resolution Asks That No More Public Funds Go to St. Vlncent's, the Orphans Home or to the
 Salvation Army.

The entire body of the Birmingham Pastors union went on record yesterday morning in favor of prohibition, in an executive meeting held at the First Meth odist church, and Jefferson county will have an election for local option to de termine whether the county shall go wet or dry. Whether the fight for prohibition will come next month or whether the campaign will be deferred until the early part of next year has not yet been det- nitely decided, as the matter of the time of the fight has been left entirely to a special committee appointed at the meet ing yesterday, but the existing sentiment among the members of the union points directly to an early fight.
 The meeting of the pastors union yes terday morning was executive and tive laymen and the pastor of every church in Jefferson county were invited to be present to take part in the discussion Nearly all of the pastors in the Birmlng. ham district and a number of laymer from the various churches attended. The two primary subjects under discussion al the meeting were prohibition and the ap- propriation of funds for ecclesiastical in- stitutions. Speeches on both became very heated at times.
 Think Now lnopportune Time.
 After the dispensatlon with the regular routine of business President J. w. Canty Johnson called for discussion by the lay men and pastors present of the launching of a campaign for prohibition. E. K, Campbell, layman, of the Five Points Methodist church, was the first to respond to the call. Mr. Campbell emphasized in his talk that the Pastors union should commit itself on a prohibition fight, but he added that he believed that the coming fall would be a very inopportune time to launch the campaign for a dry county He talkel at length on the growth of the prohibition movement and stated that be- fore taking radical action in the particular line the sentiment of the people should bt well sounded, and then laws made to suit that s timent. He stated that he be- leved that way the law would be en- forced "o;o just as fast as public sentl- ment md no faster" was tho embodi- ment his talk. He concluded by say ing u at the success of prohibition fight at this time would seriously lnjure bus mess affairs.
 Offers a Substitute.
 MT Campbell then offered a resolution in the form an amendment to substitute the original resolution of the committee of the union, appointed to report on the mat ter The resolutions as reported by the committee provided:
 q. That this joint meeting of pastor! and laymen. representatives of Jefferson county churches, proceed to organize fol a county, local option election to be helC in ths county.
 70 We recommend that this presen meeting nominate an organization com. mlttee of five members to perfect the or. gan'zation at the earliest possible moment giving them plenary powers"
 The substitute resolution offered by MT l Campbell was virtually the same as the original resolution of the committed, ex- cert that 1t provided that the campaign for prohibition be deferred until after this year.
 Union Must Take Stand.
 When the substitute was offered sev- eral of the pastors were on their feet 1 calling for the floor pr. A. R. Moore oi tle First Christian church, was reoog nzed by the chair. He urged the unior tc make haste slowly, but stated thai the time had come when it must take a stand. He called attention to the fact 9rat we had prohibition on the east and | ,.rtf nf nd Ia I,aa for Jefferson county to go dry. He con c'uded by stating that he was against the amendment and for the original mo- ton, and exhorted the union to come down to business at once and decide what was the right course.
 Dr. A. J. Dickinson of the First Baptist church. made q short talk. and exhorted the pastors not to become overloaded in their discussions, and to leave the thing 10 the Anti-saloon league and then stand by the league.
 Lawrence Willing to Fight.
 The Rev Brooks Lawrence, superin- tendent of the Alabama Anti-saloon league, took the floor and stated that ne was in for the fight if the Pastors union was going to fight. He stated that as an individual he did not intend to enter the fight, but member of the Pastors union he would stand for prohibition to the finish. He stated that there was not easy feature m the fight, and that no man should vote for the meas ure for local optnoin or dispensary un- less he is will ing to roll up his sleeves and fight hard.
 He then differentiated between a chance to fight and a fighting chance, and stated