The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-29

ton is not yet satisfied. There 10 alb
solutely not word In the long docu-
ment defining the extraordinary oc-
occasion" It Is full Of defense
and explanation Of past legis-
lation: It is full Of blarney for him
self and his policies: It Ia full. OF COM
pliment to the members Of the Legis-
lature. who probably have not heard
much praise from other sources In the
last year; but the thing to be most ex-
pected. the explanation and defense
OF the call itself. is not to be found
In the extraordinary document
This is a question that the people
over the State are generally interest,"
ed In. and they have a right to have
light upon It. 1t Is also q matter
Of supreme concern to the members Of
the Legislature themselves. The Ad-
vertiser hears that a number OF them
are FESTIVE about this matter. They
know full well that many OF their
constituents have been dissatisfied
with much Of their work in the past.
and that the people knew of no Tex
traordinary occasion" for more tinker
ing with the laws. These members ma
turally have wanted an adequate ex-
PLANTATION from the Governor as to the
cause OF more expense to the State
and OF more agitation at this time.
when the State had already suffered
so much from extravaganza and from
politics. These members ind little
comfort In the Governors call Ma
turally this defect strengthens the
feeling in the Legislature that it
should get through with this session
as soon as possible, and give the State
rest.
And when In the absence Of a spe-
cihc explanation OF the Extraordinary
occasion" by the Governor. one
searches through the message for the
the reason. he Is just as much mys-
ethOhs ~ IN hEut huab buC kTOVSTuOI
admits that a deficit in. the treasury
faces him. but that is not the extra
ordinary occasion" for he announces
lust how he is going to provide for 1t
by borrowing money like his pre-
decessors. for which there is already
abundant legal provision. Neither is the
occasion an urgent need for more Of his
anti-railroad legislation. for he boasts
of compromises with most of the roads
tile efforts to compromise with the
others. 1t can't be merely for the pur-
pose of getting another $4,000 TO pay
lawyers for continuing his unwilling
legal fight. for he could have managed
those fees I'll future time perhaps
have borrowed money for them. 1t
can't be for the purpose of raising the
tax rate. for he does not avow that
he has the State Board of Taxation and
the legal machinery for that. and it
IL understood that he has put 1t In OPP
GRAFTON. Where then is the extraor-
binary occasionP
After a careful process Of exclusion.
one is forced to conclude that the Tex
traordinarv occasion" in his mind lies
in his recommendation of more pro-
hibition legislation and of constItu-
tional amendments in the interest of
prohibition and of biennial sessions
OF the Legislature. After his defense
Of his administration SO far and his
soft-soaping Of the legislative body,
which occupy over half of his extra
ordinary message. he devotes nearly
all of the remainder to arguments for
STRENGTHENING the prohibition law and
for the amendments. Now do these
matters constitute an Extraordinary
occasion" in the eye of the Constitu-
ton? Should not the present prohibi-
ton statutes be tested for at least
one year before experience would be
sufficient to show the exact need OF
"HIcAuihoHt' ana WNV should there
bA an attempt at establishment in the
Constitution OF a half-vear-old law.
II 1t has already proved so weak as to
need iron-clad statutory additions as
the Governor argues? And what Is the
CRYING need for biennial sessions lust
now? If the people rejected the amend
ment for that purpose last year. what
ground is there to believe they have
changed their mind this year?
Evidently the mystery deepens; there
is no adequate reason. no real extra
ordinary occasion" Very probably
that Is WIN the crafty Incumbent OF
the executive ONCE neglected to set
out the views on that point Can it
be that they are too deep to admit
of popular exposition? But neverthe-
less they stick out all through the doc
ument. In its lines and between the
lines 1t can be summed up in the one
word-politics. The Governor is lay
ing his fences for his Senatorial candi-
dacy Finding that the anti railroad
agitation has not enough steam left
In it to push him into another high
ONCE. he sets about stirring UP a new
agitation, He lured the merchants and