The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-14
Forecasts Amendments
 to Prohibition Law
CLUB SYSTEM IS ATTACKED
City and County Officials Not
 Criticised.
Astatute, h Mais, Has Been Working satisfsctoriiyr--Per.onal work Is Nesaed ss strict
 Endorsement.


 Of hot discomfort, an audience that dlfed the Majestic Theatre heard Judge Samuel D. Weakley of Birmingham, former Chief Justice of the State Su- preme Court. speak forcibiy on the subject of law enforcement. It was one of series of meetings being com, ducted by the Law and order League of this city, beginning with the mass meeting the Sunday before. when heavy collections were taken to defray the expenses of waging war on the law breakers of tho Capital City.
 The most signifcant part of Judge weakley's speech--hecause heSts known to be of close association with the present State administration-was that which foretoid the amendments to the prohibition statute. which are to be submitted to the Legislature for pas sage at the extra session. And when he had briefly outlined the changes in the law, or rather the additions there to, he declared that under them the gang" of law-breakers in Jefferson County would be cleaned out by Aug. l.. Those who have kept their ears close to the political ground say this means Sthe. extra session will come certainly , in July.
 It was not until he had disposed of many of his head-notes that the dis-
  sible new measures that are to be tried in Alabama in the near future; provided, the members of the legisla- tive body think as do the Committee of One Hundred of Jefferson County. That committee, said Judge weakiey. had become convinced that the prohi- bition law in it's main inhibitions had worked magnincentiy.
 But the prohibition bill," continued he anaa Har vraa aaad af anArfal session of the Legislature when the members had not time to consider the machinery for It's enforcement as they might have. The present law needs strengthening. The experience in our city has taught us that while the in- hfbitions of the statute have well served their purpose. some amendments Co detekt the x.elafions and prosecute ehem axter they are detected.
 Then he began to rScommend that a Jaw be passed which will make contra band and subject to confiscation all sfnnors of intoxicating quality that are held by anyone for purposes of violat- snR the law. If, under such an amend xnent. he said. a few barrels of whis- Key could be emptied on the streets Of4the city, 1t might have very good influence to better enforcement of the pfohibitition law. ss
 Also, it was the purpose of the Jeff Serson County Committee of One Hun ared, the spaaker declared. to urge the passage of a law which would forfeit Che license of any legitimate business under cover of which intoxicating uQuors-xere sold.
 Social Clubs Attacked.
 Referring to the fifty-odd social and literary clubs that infest Birmingham, organized ostensibiy for literary cul- ture and social advancement, the speaker said that the Legislature could take care of these also. At present the law allows the organization of such club whenever the instigator pays over to the Probate Judge s1.25, gets his so-called charter and then proceeds to rent quarters, install lockers that have no locks and put in couple of newspapers. Thus the club Is equipped fully for the social advancement and literary culture of it's members"
 To deal with such organizations. Judge weakley and the Committee of One Hundred would have passed law which would forfeit the charter if at any time there was found on hand in the club intoxicating liquors at all.
 "And if the Legislature passes these laws" added Judge Weakley with great, emphasis. i've win clean up Bir- mingham by Aug. 1.''
 Completing his allusions to the coming session of the Legislature, the speaker told of how. with such laws on the statute books, not only the liquor traffic will go from the County of Jefferson. but the gamblers as we'll. for. said he, these two are inseparabiy interwpven. He said also that there would be brought down a train load of good citizens to Montgomery on the occasion of the next assembly of the lac fx hal haIN aL
 At the outset yesterday afternoon, Judge Weakley. surrounded on the ros- trum by leading ministers and mem berg of the Law and Order League, said he was to address the gathering in pe- culiar fashion, for to Montgomery is entrusted az-sacred task. This Is the capital of the great State of Alabama. In its boundaries on Capitol Hill. are framed the laws which voice the sem ttment of the majority Of the people Kere sit also the officials who are sworn to enforce the laws. as well as the Judges of the Supreme bench, who interpret them. The city, therefore, is the custodian of the trust and the people who are constantly visiting this community are looking here for an ex- ample in the enforcement of the stat ute. The speaker protested that he was not familiar with the conditions as they exist here. except as he had read part of the happenings of the re- cent past.
 After payng tribute to the nigh source of all law--the Constitution of the United States and of the State, which guards the Legislatures in mak- ing the statutes, Judge. Weakley de- clared that 1t is dangerous pass one comes to when one says he will not obey the law because he is not in fa- vor of It. Nor is 1t right for a city or a county to say that 1t will not en- force the prohibition law because its citizens did not have an opportunity to vote for it. ...t
 City Sovereignty.
 'rWhence comes this Idea of city or county sovereignty?" asked the orator. And he was greeted with applause as he was greeted at several other periods of his speech.
 T would like to ask if when the Legislature plotted out of this State the evils of race track gambling. at time when 1t was rampant in Birming- ham. lotteries. gambling and frauds in general, the laws were submitted to city, town or people for their approvalg There are not sixty seven Legislatures afftfncr thronohaut fha State for he