The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-01
IS WHISKY FIGHT
 COMING THIS FALL2
Pastors Union Committee Has
 Important Report
BROOKS LAWRENCE TALKS
Some Conservative Men Want to Put of the Fight, While Others Are Eager to Have It Over
 With.

As the date for tho next meeting of tho Pastors union approaches the great ques- ton mark Is being again raised us U whether Birmingham will have u fight against the whisky traffic this fall. At the last meeting the subject, "Dispen- sarles and Saloons was scheduled, but the ministers were not willing to discuss the matter In open meeting, and post poned 1t indefinitely to be taken up ex- ecutvely.
 However, enough sentiment was shown to prove that the dispensary will never be established in Birmingham as long as the pastors can raise their voices. The question is now prohibition or saloons :"
 A committee consisting of Brooks Lawrence, A. J. Dickinson and J. J. Hall, was appointed to decide upon how, when and where the liquor question should be discussed by the union. This committee has since met and formulated report which will not be given out until next Mondays meeting. On account of the se- crecy of it's meaning 1t Is believed that it contains some important suggestions.
 When asked last night whether prohl- biton fight would be brought on In BA'- mingham this fall, Brooks Lawrence, leader of the Anti Saloon league, said that 1t would not be brought on by the league, but that the question was hard to answer. There are some conservative people who want to put it off, and some earnest people that want to have it and get rid of It."
 The pastors will meet next Monday, and the result of their deliberations will be watched with much interest. The pub lie in general looks to them for the in itiative move, although many of them would rather leave it to the business men.
 In connection with the Anti-saloon league, the following editorial from the American Issue, an Ohio paper, presents new phase of the liquor fight in Ala bama:
 Since the Anti-Saloon league has made it's advent in Alabama, and especially since the county option law has been se- cured in the legislature, the saloonists of that state have set their inventiveness to work to stay the progress of the new S- i4it piaI Ailt9 dIe HOW try ing is foul personal attack If possible, on Superintendent Brooks Lawrence of the league.
 "A detective has been sent from Ala. bama, who has been ,nosing around of late in various cities in' Ohio to see if he cannot find some ground for starting a scandal, or scandals, about MT Lawrence He has been in Toledo Cincinnati, Co., lumbus and elsewhere-in Columbus he h. advertently struck a friend of the league, whom he approached with his inquiries, trying if he could not get hold of some strong string which would pull out morsel of islander fit for saloon use in Alabama. We are warned that probably about July we may look for something from this mephitic source.
 There Is not a prominent worker of the league in Ohio against whom this method has not been tried. Where noth- ing could be found that could be distorted and garbled for liquor purposes, outright falsehoods have been coined. The liquor men of this state smelled all over his tracks while he was superintendent of the Toledo district, and found nothing where with to successfully fault him