The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-29
UNDER WHIP AND SPUR SENATE KILLS FREE PASS;
 EDITORS MAY HAVE TO WAJs.A
of the Committee on Commerce and Common Carriers.

l know or no reason TOT the cnarge that has come over him unless 1t is the re- ceptfon of some message from the first floor. I think sign should be stuck up in the neighborhood of his desk which should say, Gonsistency is the hobgoblin of small minds
 As for me, the Governor Is the Cow ernor of Alabama. But I am the Sem ator from Mobile. and : propose to do the thinking for the Senator from Mo- bile and demand all the respect that goes with that honor. The, Governor of the State. who is So afraid of the newspapers being influenced, spent s. 900 to be nominated, while his cppon- ent only spent $1,500.
 The newspapers of Alabama are charged with being bought and infu- enced with the transportation furnish ed them by the railroads. I have here an editorial from Mobile paper which, for purpose. shall have the clerk read to the Senate"
 The editorial in question was one in The Mobile H@ald, of which Senator Hamburger Is owner and editor. The article bitterly attached the service given by the Southern Railway be- tween Selma and Mobile.
 T have had that read to show how much The Herald was influenced by the railroads. At the time that edito- rial was written, The Herald had a contract with the Southern Railway which called for $3,000 every year."
 This bill carries the implication that the papers of Alabama are bought and controlled by railroad passes. protest against such an imputation. It is not only unfair, 1t is not only un- just, but it is an insult to the profess sion of journalism in Alabama. pro- test against 1t in the name of the Nestor of the Alabama press, Isaac w. Grant, who has sat as @ Senator in this chamber and who for fifty years has been an Alabama editor. protest against the imputation convey ed in this bill that this grand old man. for fifty years has permitted him. self to do wrong and commit an of- fense. which you declare now to be H. legal"
 Senator Lusk in reply said the day of change and barter had passed. In the primitive days coon skins. bear skins and belts might have been a me- dium of exchange, but civilization had changed all that and the time had come when cash was the medium and should he so, of all business.
 Under9oes Change of Mind.
 When the amendment was first pro- posed. I admit I saw no particular ob- lection to it." said Senator Lusk, but the more ! considered the question. the more I thought over the matter, the more convinced I became that the amendment was unjust. The calling of journalism Is high and noble call. ing. l object to the amendment pro- posed as placing that profession in a position upon which there would be reflection cast. for the peculiar privi- leges 1t asks.
 'rhe gentleman from Mobile charges the Governor of Alabama with spend ing large sum to secure his nomina- tion. For one I can say that it was peculiarly fortunate that the people had a leader in that great fight who could furnish the slnews of the war. It was fortunate the people had man to lead them who could spend his own money to make the fight. The gentleman said nothing of the $100,- 900 which, 1t is charged, was spent by the railroads to defeat him, and that charge has never been refuted."
 The vote was then taken on the amendment, and 1t was defeated by the following vote on motion to ta- ble.
 Ayes Barbour, Bayles. Davis, Gard ner, Glenn, Gum, Hammer, Hays, Him son, Horton, Leith, Lowe, Lusk, Mer- rift, Miller, McWhorter, Overton, Reid, Renyolds, Spragins, Strother, Teasley,
 
 Nays -BlIckmon, Doster, Hambur- ger, Jones. King, and White--6.
 The bill was then passed without opposition
 President R. E. L. Neil of the Ala bama Press Association. said in refer ence to the amendment:
 VIII Take Fight Into Courts.
 "we shall take the fight to the courts. It was too much to expect that the Senate should pass the amend ment when its defeat was demanded by the Governor. We are convinced the courts will hold that no law can be constitutionally enacted which will forbid us to dispose of our space, as we have been doing all these years. Senator Morgan has already expressed his firm conviction that under the Hepburn Act the newspapers have the right to dispose of their space in bona fide contracts for transportation to be furnished by railroads. The bill which has passed Is practically the sa me as the Hepburn bill, and we are assured of our rights. The Associa- ton will take the case to the courts to have those rights protected"
 The opening prayer of the session was offered by Rev Brooks Lawrence. The roll call showed there were twenty. six senators present.
 The bill for the Improvement and extension of the Alabama Girls In- hustrial School at Montevallo was of fNred by Senator Doster. This Is the bill which was prepared at the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the school, held Saturday and which is supposed to have the e&uOrsement 9f the AI. ministration. It calls for an annual increase of the ma antenance of the school. and $5O.0Q0 annually to provide the school with Decessary buildings Two other bills affecting the school were also offered by Senator Thomas. one making change In the charter for the school, the other providing for the payment of interest on the moneS' m the State Treasury derived from the sale of the Montevallo school lands.
 The first bill on the Calendar was the measure 0f Senator Gardner. maE- ing 1t a mIsdemeanor for man to sell horse affected with glanders, or to sell horse which might be a "chok- er"
 Senator Gardner was called upon to explain what a "choker" is, and the nature of the disease called "glanders." The Senate was inclined to smile over the bill. but Senator Whorton, who is a physician, told the Senate the bill Is an important measure. designed to meet serious condition. Glanders, he malls to human beings. The bill was passed by unanimous vote
 The bill of Senator Merritt, making it a misdemeanor to steal dog, next came up on the Calendar. It changes one feature of the present law so that the penalty of the law shall apply not ODIV to tho theft Of TauisfArAd EOpe