The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-08
House Spends Entire Day With
Discussion Of Measure
MINORITY REPORT LOST
ON VOTE OF 70 TO 26
Senator Miller of Jefferson Receives
Many Compliments In the Senate
On His Fight for Paying
Judges BY the State.

Montgomery, February 7.-(Special)-
The house spent the day in a discussion
of the local option bill. finally passing it
for the county unit, but not until Mr..
Pitts of Dallas county had made one OF
the most remarkable speeches Of the ses-
sion in favor of the beat, town or city
being the unit. The bill had come up from
the committee with two reports, the ma
jority for the county unit and the minor
ity for the beat, city or town.
In the opening of the debate on Wednes-
day Mr. Goodwin of Montgomery spoke
for the minority report, arguing that to
give this power to the county would be
to make trouble in every county where
there were large towns and cities He
was followed by others, among them Mr-
King of Jefferson, who said that this was
the only way to meet the situation. and
the saloon men hoped nothing better than
such a ruling.
Mr.. Pitts spoke along the line of the
harm that might, and no doubt, ne
thought, would come, If the power to con-
troll in the state was given to the coun-
ties. He recalled that there had been a
time in Alabama when ballots had been
wrongfully dealt with because the people
did not approve the laws, and they did
what seemed to them best for their own
protection. This was right at hrst' ana
the people ought to have done as they
did. But with the taste of vice the sight
of real right was lost until It became the
practice to do the wrong Thing.
Blind Tigers.
This was. by way of illustration, of the
results when people began to disobey the
law They would not like such law allo
there would be blind tigers. The people
would care SO little for enforcement OF
the law that they would not suppress
them and the last result would be worse
than the first. He did not think that oil@
end of Dallas county would care to nave
the other rule 1t. That is not nome ruie'
the very essence of democracy.
Mr. Irrouhart of Jefferson and Mr.. Car
michael of Colbert made strong speecnes
against the beat unit idea. and lot ehe
majority reports. They argued tnat the.o
was nothing to do but TO control lhe tral
fic which they regard as an eVll ol .iIe
worst sort, and ought to be placed "heie
IL can do the least harm.
The minority report was lost on vote
of 20 to 2e The house then substituted the
senate bill, very much like that reporteu
by the majority. and passed 1t witnout
opposition, all of the opposltloh VothiS
with the majority or not at all
Miller Is Complimented.
Senator Miller was the recipient or
many compliments in the upper mouse TO
day during the course of his hght 10 nave
the bill passed paying all of the court
Judges of the state out of the treasury OF
the state Mr.. Reese of Dallas and MI.
REYNOLDS of Bibb said they were willing
to be governed in the matter or more
courts and better courts by the senator
from Jefferson, and the vote to pass the
Inc
the popularity of the bill, as well as the
good will in which Mr.. Miller is held.
while the bill was introduced by Mr..
Spraggins 1t was regarded as Blrhihs-
ham measure inasmuch as that city would
get the largest benefit from 1t. Mr. Miller
led the fight for 1t, and was ably sup
ported by Mr.. Reese, Mr.. Reynolds, Mr..
I,eith Mr. Lowe and others. 1t was
brought out in the discussion that MI.
Miller was looked to to provide the leao-
ership for this measure, and the others
were ready to fall in line and f1ght with
him. They said that they We're fulIy satls
fed that he knew what was wanted ana
would stand by him in what he after. Mr..
REYNOLDS was especially pleasant, saying
that he wes glad Mr.. Miller came before
him on the roll call, as he was quite Will
ing when not posted himself, to rely on
the judgment from Jefferson.
Miller Makes Speech.
In the course of his speech Mr.. Miller
pointed out that while Jefferson county
paid S469 900 In taxes to the state IT got
hack for schools and old soldiers only
s77 723. leaving a balance to the rest of
the state of 1891 277. IL was also pointed
ont by Mr. Miller that the county of JEFF
ferson gave to the state last year over
200 years of hard labor convictH. Many or
the senatorial districts secured many nun
dreds, and some thousands, OF doliais
less than they paid in
The bill was passed with only Mr.. Dos
ter and Mr.. Bales against IT, IL was
amended so as to take In no criminal
courts that have jurisdiction of only mis-
demeanor cases.
Mr.. I,usk favored the bill general
proposition, but thought 1t fully illus
trated the need of better court system
all the way round. He could see the need
of Just such a plan as Is contemplated
in the bill for a commission TO prepare
a bill reorganizng the courts Of the state
he has introduced. He said this bill would
he reported favorably to the senate in a
short time and he hoped II would become
a law He had for years worked on this
very idea of breaking up the patchwork
system that now prevails with the Ala
bama judiciary.
Governor Returns Bill
The governor sent the 2ts cent passenger
rate bill back to the two houses today
with an amendment. which was adopted.
The amendment provides to remove some
of the objections that exist In the meas-
n,re and which have been discussed In this
correspondence. The amendment was
adopted in the senate, where the Dill
originated, on motion of Mr. Lusk, the
author of the bill
| The governor has the right to return
| bills with such suggestions. They must
| bo adopted as a whole or rejected. The
houses cannot amend the amendments.
| This one requires that there SHAH be :.
minimum fare OF cents and tickets, and
the passenger must pay the odd Y cent.
| instead OF going into eject next july