The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-19
Legislators Expect Scrap
py Meeting
PROHIBITION MAIN QUESTION
Railroad Issues win Take Back
Seat
S.snaers Strengthening Positions For
IAsusr Fisht--Nobody Expects
sslens to ConpIete Business
Before septenber.

State politicians expect the coming
extra session OF the Legislature to
Be the "scrappiest." meeting of that
body held since the Populists were
strong and in fighting humor. They
seem to think that the sessions Of two
years ago will be as a tea party to q
prize fight compared to the extra ses-
sion.
This Of course is largely surmise.
The members OF the House and Senate
have not been canvassed. and their
Individual positions on the many is
sues raised In the call of the Cover
nor are not known. But among the
politicians there Ia a belief that q num-
Der Of them have changed their view
70 outside direction and dictation az
patiently as they did In the previous
sessions.
The railroad questions will make a
back seat in the coming session. II
a. not expected that there will be
enough railroad legislation to give the
Legislature three days work. "The
paramount issue" Is bound to be pro-
hibition. This will face q little diff
xerent situation than that which rail-
road legislation faced.
Governor Conner was elected on q
railroad issue. The Democratic State
Convention allowed him to write the
platform. He put In that platform all
the railroad legislation he could fore
cast. So far as he could tell at that
time the Governor wrote all his In
tended railroad legislation In the plat
form which the convention adopted.
When the Legislature had assem-
bled. and when Q member hesitated
shout passing some of the radical
measures. he was told by the Cover
nor's lisutenants or by the Governor
himself that the platform declared for
that bill. and he would have to vote
for 1t. "a platform measure" and IAN
administration measure" became by
words in the Legislature. Neverthe-
less they were effective in forcing
recalcitrant members to vote for bills
they did not like. More than once
Senators and Representatives took the
floor and said that they voted for the
bill under consideration. not because
they thought 1t wise or necessary. but
because the Democratic platform de-
clared for It.
Prohibition, the coming paramount
issue, viii occupy a different position.
The platform does not declare for pro-
hibition. 1t plainly declares for local
pntion. Not only will the members not
% whipped into line BY holding the
Democratic platform over their heads.
hut the members who refuse to vote
fhe .c.her prohibition legislation will
have the right to say that they are
Varying out the state platform.
Notwithstanding the local option
platform the members OF the Legisla.
ture two years ago seemed as strong
III inclined TO prohibition as they did
to the Governors railroad bills. Still
ct the extra session. when the prohibit
tion bill was passed, q bill was before
the Legislature calling for a constitu-
tfonal amendment for prohibition. but
1t died before its passage. 1t was an
nounced that the Senate while willing
20 vote for statutory prohibition would
not stand for constitutional prohibi-
fion. To get the Senate to pass a bill
. declaring for constitutional prohibit
ton. II will have been necessary for
O number of Senators to have changed
their positions.
Politicians say that the prohibition
sentiment was at its highest IN 1907
when the bill went through with. 9
hurrah. The State except in Mont
gomery. Mobile and few smaller dis
pensary cities has had prohibition fol
nearly two years. Montgomery. Mo.
bile and the dispensary cities have hat