The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-08-12
NEW COUNTY
VICTORIOUS
Gets Bill Through the
House.
PASSED BY 70l5 VOTE
One Of Qeverest Political Achieve
ments Of the Lower Body.
Bill Calls for Amendment to Consti-
tuition to BE Voted Upon by State,
Taking New County from

OOnetitutiOndI prOn1DltlOn caused It's
Just share of commotion in the Senate
but 1t did not take away any of the
sensational circumstances which in the
House. of Representatives yesterday
morning swept the Bessemer conting-
emit to an overwhelming victory in their
fight for a new county out of Jefferson
County. 1t must go down in Alabama
legislative history as one of the clev-
crest political achievements the House
has yet known.
Bessemer lost her fight signally in
the attempt to Gull the county of Pet
tus" from Jefferson, Bib, Tuscaloosa
and Shelby. She brought down upon
her thin phalanxes the infuriated lead
ers of four counties. With the assist
ance of the Tuscaloosa delegation, of
the Bib and other crowds, with the
telling work of Gen. w. W. Brandon,
Estate Auditor, whose home Is in Tus-
caloosa County, the opponents of Pet
tus" County blocked the movement be-
fore ii ever got started in committee.
But this early setback taught them
q lesson. The friends of "Pettus'
found out that ii were easier to level
their guns on Jefferson alone and let
the smaller harpies be free from the
conflict Co they agreed on a plan of
campaign without delay, choosing to
offer House joint resolution to sub
NIT at the next general election an
amendment to the Constitution to be
voted on by all the people of Alabama
providing for the new county of Pet
fus'' of 400 square miles, to be cut from
jefferson.
The Birmingham people at first did
not think seriously of the matter. The
resolution went to its first. its second
and then to Its third reading. Mean
time the Jefferson crowd seemed to see
but slowly the fast development of
strength behind the resolution. Mr..
Ragsdale,i is author. thoUghableonly to
appear In an invalid's rolling chair,
80 i'll has he become, summoned all his
Friends to the battle. On every source
ne drew for supportI on every consid-
GRAFTON and every combination his
friends began to erect their plans. And
at last when the resolution came up
yesterday, shortly after the noon hour,
the Jefferson delegation. though sus-
pectfng the danger of the measure
passing, were astonished at the support
which had been gathered.
The situat ton, 1t seemed, could hard
~ have been handled more adroitly.
In the first place, Rev. Dr. Sturdivant
of Bessemer, was called upon to lead
the House in prayer. He pleaded earn
estly for the success of good legisla-
tion in future, thanked the Lord for
what had been. already done, asked
for the blessings on each member who
had contributed to the good work, and
Incidentally petitioned for blessing on
Dr, Ragsdale.
Try Already Mr.. Ragsdale's popularity
.ad been established. but 1t was fur
Their impressed on the minds of the
hearers in speech after speech of those
who supported the amendment.
Fortunate Calendar Position.
Nor was this all of the plan. They
succeeded in getting a place on the cal
endar for the resolution directly after
the passage of the bill of Mr. Glover
of Jefferson, which is to submit to the
voters at the next general election
the amendment to allow the Legisla-
ture to fix a salary basis for one or
more officers Of any county of more
than 100000 population. In the argu-
ment of the jefferson delegation who
seemed united for the bill, the fact of
the sheriff receiving fees from $50, 0oO
to $4,000 and other officers receiving
fees up to $4,000 and more. was played
upon, was stressed to the point of Mr.
Kings declaring 1t "a stencil in the
nostrils of the people of Alabama y
And this very argument seemed to give
friends of the "Pettus" County ammu-
milton in the Bessemer fight.
Mr.. Gunter of Montgomery, Mr.. San.
ford of Talla6ega. Mr.. Kirby of Mad.
ers took rapid fire shots at the JEFF.
ferson crowd, IL uniting them for the
big fee" nuisance, and saying tina,
they would vote for the resolution il
order to give them relief from the on.
erous situation.
I'VE are proposing to cure that yer,
thing for which you asked only q few
minutes ago." said Mr.. Gunter. "Yor
have already acknowledged that ex
cessive fees are a stencil in the nostril
of the people up in Jefferson. II W,
split the county 1t will give you tina
relief. I am not so sure that whel
fhe people go to vote on the fee amend
Ement to the constitution, they are go
kng to adopt it. So. this is giving 70,
two shots at getting the relief aske,
for. know that l am voting agains
fhe wish of many personal friends o
mine in Birmingham, but shall sup
port the resolution
And 1t went on down the line. Final
!ly the big fight got mixed up In a de
gree with local option and prohibition
NGr. Rushton OF Crenshaw. sounded tn
keynote in this regard, when, as par
of his argument for supporting the res
Iolution, he declared that 1t was in tn
mature of a general matter for the PEG
Iple at large. He said that the mem
beers had looked on prohi bition as
general matter and enacted State wild
without giving the matter over t
montgomery and Mobile for a local de
Ecision. He underwent mush cross-fir
from the Jefferson delegation. The
asked him time and again If the peopl
of Jefferson affected by the new coun