The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-18
Walker Percy Shows How Bir- mingham News ReverSes Its
 Position on the Question
HAS ALWAYS OPPOSED
 DIVISION IN THE PAST
Nesbitt Argues That Modern Tendency Is Toward Consolidation and That Dsintesration Now Would
 Be Backward Step.

in argument and oratory, when speakers and patriotic citizens of Jefferson county gathered in the grandstand at the Ala bama State Fair.
 w. D. Nesbitt, railroad commissioner, and Walker Percy addressed the meet ing. MT. Percy startled his hearers by reading an editorial of the Birmingham News published six years ago, which, he said, took exactly an opposite view to that of MT. Rhodes the editor, at present. He then accounted for this change by saying: "Mr. Rhodes recently attended a press banquet at Bessemer. It must have been a prohibition banquet, and it ap- pears that they used a species of coercion on the general. for in his splendid, impul- sive manner he said he was in favor of the new county.''
 Nesbitt First Introduced.
 w H. Kettig, chairman of the Commer- cial clubs campaign committee, presided, and introduced MT. Nesbitt. The rail- road commissioner made his argument on the ground that organization, concentra- ton and amalgamation of people. assets and resources of any community, or any business, is the modern plan, and that it will never do to begin disintegration.
 He knew that no corporation would give the reason that increased population and increased revenue would be any excuse for splitting up, and he pointed out the pos- sibility of the Jefferson county court house being removed to Leeds or some other more central place, if the amend ment carries. He considered the passage of the amendment more apt to injure tremendously the business progress of Birmingham than any other action could possibly do." In illustration he pointed out the two Decaturs, which, after years of unfrendly rivalry, have finally decid- ed that union will be to the interest of both
 State Senator Frank s. Moody of Tus- caloosa was called home on account of the death of a relative and was unable to attend.
 l MT. Percy's Speech.
 l MT. Percy said:
 ''The constitution of the state is it's fun damental and organic law. The present state constitution was drafted in 1901 after weeks of study and painstaking investiga- tion and consideration of the needs of the state by a convention composed of dele gates selected by the voters of the state because of their ability, patriotism and knowledge of public questions. No i'm portant change in the state constitution should be adopted unless the amendment is required by the needs of the state, and the drafting of an amendment to be adopted should receive the same careful consideration as was given the constitu- tion which It is intended to change.
 From the clamor made by the people of Bessemer in behalf of what is known as the New County Amendment to the state constitution, the ordinary cit izen would infer that the framers of the constitution failed to provide for the creation of new counties when the needs of the people should demand them; this is not true Our present state constitu- tion provides that new counties may be created by the state legislature whenever the members of the legislature, represent ing the wishes of the people of the state in their discretion deem the creation of new counties to be necessary in order that the inhabitants of any section may have more convenient access to the coun- ty seat, or for any other good and suf- ficient reason. Under the present state constitution the state legislature for any reason which it may deem proper car create a new, county in any locality of the state, and can define the boundaries of such new county, consulting the wishes and convenience of the citizens of the locality as to whether they desire to go into the new county or remain in the existing counties. The legislature In the formation of any new county can make definite and equitable provision for the division of the debt of existing counties between the territory to be incorporated in the new county and the territory to remain in the old counties. All that is required today for the formation of d new county with it's county seat at Bes- senier, or for the formation of a new county in any other section of the state, is that the members of the state legisla-
 
 locality desire to be Incorporated into a new county, so that they may have bet ter facilities for local self government and more convenient access to the county courthouse. The only reason therefore, why the people at Bessemer, or any oth- CT section of the state, urge the consti- tutional amendment on the subject of the creation of new counties is that they realize that they cannot present 10 the state legislature good and sufficient reasons for the creation of such new county by the legislature.
 Will Cause Endless Elections.
 ''The new county amendment if adopted 800 qualified voters in any section of the state desire the formation of 0 new coun- ty they may prepare petition stating the proposed boundary line of the new county as they desire them to be and sign and present this petition for the creation of new county to the probate judge of the county from which the largest amount of territory is to be taken, and thereupon he must order an election to be held for the purpose of determining whether or not such new county shall be created At this election, only the voters within the proposed boundaries of t>e new county are allowed to vote The other voters in the existing counties from