The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-19

favorably upon these subjects in accord anee with the demands of public opinion is L mere matter of politics and that thes can repeal the ordinance by the same vote as that by which they passed 1t, and that 1t will be repealed as soon as the prohibition election is out of the wa.
 We have no desire to bandy epithets with those who impugn the motives and question the sincerity of all who differ from them on public matters. but a Ill., tie reflection will show how utterly un- founded Is this statement, and how un- reasonable is the logic upon which 1t is based. To begin with. the City Council. having passed the ordinance by q mayor ity vote, which has been or will be law fully approved, has no power to repeal the ordinance at any subsequent meet Ing without the consent of the Mayor, whose sincerity and fidelity has been questioned by no one during this entire controversy. By the new municipal cooe, the Mayor is given the authority and power of veto on all ordinances of this dIu II IoQulISS d lWO-LllldS vote of the present City Council under any circumstances, to do a thing of that sort.
 By Section A of the new municipal code, it is expressly provided as follows; If the Mayor shall disapprove of any or dinance or resolution transmitted to him as aforesaid he shall, within ten days or ,l. af htr ba return the same to the clerk with his ob- jections in writing, and the clerk shall make report thereof to the next regu'ar meeting of the City Council, and if two thirds of the members elected to the said council shall adhere to said ordinance or resolution notwithstanding said obJec tions, said vote being taken by yeas and nays and spread upon the minutes, then, and not otherwise, said ordinance or res olution shall after publication thereof have the the force of law.
 Again, 1t has been suggested that the City Council, as now constituted will not enforce these ordinances after they are adopted. We believe that the reputation in this community of the men who com pose q majority of the City Council hay ing been chosen by the votes of ma iority of the people who knew them best will compare favorably with their crit ics. But the conclusive answer to thls suggestion is that the City Council Is a legislative body. purely. and has nothing to do, in any sense other than any other citizen would have. with the execution of these ordinances. The execution and the enforcement of the ordinances of the city is. by law. vested in the Mayor and the police commission, who have full and ample powar and authority in the prem
 ises. Both the Mayor and the police com mission constitute an independent body having original rights and duties of their own and charged with the entire respon- sibility of the execution and enforcement of every municipal ordinance. However, the members of this council who voted for the adoption of these ordinances, while they have no power or Jurisdiction in the premises ther than the citizens of the community, do pledge themselves to use whatever influences and whatever power they may possess. as citizens or other wise, to see to it that the law is strictly,
 rigidly and impartially enforced in all
 of it's provisions and we will, to the very best of our ability. in the utmost good | faith, uphold the hands of the Mayor l and the police commission, and of all l other good citizens in the execution and l enforcement of every law of the city"