The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-06
MUCH CHEERING GREETS
ANNOUNCEMENT OF VOTE
Small Crowd Present as Measure
Was Not Scheduled to Come Up.
Prohibitionists Seized Upon Yesterday
Morning as a Good Opportunity
to Make the Supreme Test
and Victory Reward
ed Their Ell
forts. y

Amid scenes Of excitement but little
less conspicuous on the floor Of the
House of Representatives. than during
the memorable extra session Of 1907.
when the State wide prohibition. bill
was enacted, that portion OF the Ala
bama Legislature. declaring through it's
majority that the people were clamor-
Ing for the privilege. decreed that con-
stitutional prohibition shall be submit
ted to the qualified electors OF this
State within three months after the
adjournment Of the present esssion.
Debate running continuously for
three hours, in which the loudest and
most eloquent voices at the command
of the prohibition side were summoned
TO give the stirring tocsin. preceded
the long -drawns call Of the roll. The
galleries were filled With sympathiz-
ers of both those In favor and those
opposed to the measure. The friends
OF submission prevailed by q vote of
20 to 30.
There would undoubtedly have been
more spectators on the scene iftit had
been generally known that the day was
to be devoted to the most important
discussion of the session. Some say
that the prohibitionists had set apart
another hour in which to marshal their
Eosts and come down with their heay-
iest vote. But they deemed yesterday
the most favorable occasion and with a
vengeance went about their big job.
Emotional Tactics.
The same emotional tactics that car
xied the day for Statewide put through
the constitutional submission bill yes
terday. Not one OF the numerous
speeches on the dry side of4aAss House
was shorn of the customary appeal to
the supremacy Of the "nreside. the wo-
men and children" Not one but plead
ed in tones that made II a battle, mot
OF expediency but Of whether the sane
tity of the home and the purity OF the
hearthstone" was In peril
| Lurtd pictures OF the whiskey CO.
aossus. treading with vicious hoof and
tentacle over the Southern States--and
especially AIabama-were drawn and
put forth In able style. Instead of
evading an answer to the charge that
the amendment was designed as a mode
of agitation. the speakers flung back
in excited language, that 1t was to for
ever put down agitation Of the prohi-
bition subject that moved them to vote
for the submission. Argument after
argument was advanced against the ex-
pediency Of at this time voting for SUBJ
mission. when as suggested, prohibition
had not been confirmed in its wisdom
but was In its experimental stage. But
each time 1t was declared vehemently
that the people were "clamoring in
thunder tones" and 1t was the duty of
the Legislators to give them what they
wanted.
Mr.. Glover, OF Jefferson, who opposed
the bill. at one time asked II the SOW
ereign people had petitioned the Legts-
lature for q chance to vote on consti-
tutional prohibition.
They have" replied Mr.. Rushton, of
Crenshaw, who continued In his speech
without stating the number Of petit
TONERS on the file of memorials. One
opponent suggested that there were not
@ thousand names on the petition lists.
i, but he remained unanswered, the pro-
hibitionists again declaring that 1.-The
people were crying for the right"
But the steam roller was employed
not alone for the enemies but for the
professed friends OF prohibition.
Amendment Killed.
So, when Mr.. Sample. Of Morgan. in
kindly voice. appealing to the calmest
sentiments of the majority, offered an
amendment which he said was intended
TO save the people of Alabama some
$4,000. 1t was to submit the question
at the regular election of 1910 instead
of the first Monday three months after
adjournment. He asked for a reason
able view of the proposition, pointing
20 the already depleted treasury of
Alabama and showing that at the reg
ular election there would be just as
much chance for the untrammelled
voice of the sovereign people as in De-
cember or January. But there was no
temporizing among the temperance
side. His amendment was showed un-
der and the question reverted to the
original question.
THE gentleman from Morgan" said
Mr.. Hoffman. of Mobile. in fine face
tiougness, talks idly and Is not to the
point. He talked of expenses; what do
we care for expenses? What do we
care for spending the peoples money,
when have we talked so much of ex-
penses7 / say I'm against the amend
ment which calls for saving the people
any money. Let's go ahead and blow
IN the peoples money regardless OF an
empty treasury"
This speech caused some laughter
but not from the prohibition side. And
OR. Hoffman voted against the amend
Gnent. as he did against the submission
bill.
Members twitted members: members
roasted the newspapers; prohibition
lists hurled anathema at the 'whiskey'
trust. at the brewers; one denounced
The Advertiser as the devil and said he
was hereafter going to walk on the OPP
posite side OF the street from the Office
building of this paper; and the Speaker
himself said that, while he was willing
90 give the opposition credit for sin
certify, raised his voice to high pitch
evoking applause, with the statement
"but as for me. gentlemen Of the House
am glad to have my conscience coin
eide with the will OF the people,"
And there were amens, there was
handclapping, there was stamping OF
feet. and shouts arose at intervals. II
was clear that the members were la
boring under more excitement than the
spectators themselves in the gallery
There were few women there, contrast
ing with the last Legislative occasion
when Statewide was the issue.
Mr.. King, of Jefferson. while appar-
emily composed himself, when his time
4 -