The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-15
POLITICAL BEES BUzz|NG BUSILY
 IN MONTGOMERY Past Week Has Been Produc- tive of Many Live
 Features WHEELS OF LEGISLATION SLOW AND PONDEROUS People of the State Are Proud of tho Great City That Will Stand In Jones vaIley-some PoIIt-
 lcaI GossIp. tgf
BY HERvEY W. LAIRD.

 Montgomery, August 14-(SpeciaI. )-rho week has been productive of a lot of po- htical bee buzzing, and the end is not yet. H. s. D. Mallory has been forced Into line for the constitutional prohibition bill and vii ltake the stump for it. Bankhead. fearing for his fences, has come home and will get in touchs while there is no new light on the position of Speaker Car michatei. but there will be soon. Wha1 will be the outcome of the Carmichael gossip is not now plain, but his imrne- diate future is cause of speculation to say the least of 1t.
 | TWo-Sided Race. It looks like the race for treasurer of the state will be two-sided affair. a po- iticaI duet, so to speak. William Garner. banker and a member of the legtslature from Ozark. has joined in the leading part with Commissioner of Agriculture J. A Wilkinson. and the two are going neck and neck for the honor of keeping the funds, that is, what funds there will be after the legislature gets through and the bills are all paid. With the cost of the legislature and the special election to be I there is going to be busted condition of the aforetime plethoric money drawer on | the hill.
 Why ThIs DeIay7 Many have asked why this delay in leg islation. While the two houses have done a great deal 1t is a fact that there has been much loafing and those who are old fashioned enough to think of the cost of it all are wondering why there is not & bet ter gait hit in pushing matters along With working force that Is reliable ana sentiment that backs them up, there Is no reason for the majority to hesitate Bills may be passed at will as was the l case with the constitutional bill So why not rung along? Get through and go home and get the bills In operation and let's set what they will do is the cry that one may hear if he listens
 Still up a Tree.
 After all, save the injunction feature there Is not much in the big Carmichael bill, recently passed. to help the officers or the law where the people are not will ing to help enforce the law. There is no way to raid, and where a man refuses to tell Of 1t. after purchase, 1t Is about as hard as ever to get at the men who make run or the statutes. Here Is a case in point; man in Montgomery bought bottle of liquor The officer knew he bought 1t, but could no>. swear to the ex tent of conviction. The fellow brazenly said he would swear that he did not get 1t if they put him on the stand. And the | officers were up tree still. l Birmingham Wins. Again there Is Greater Birmingham. and there is pride in the state that 1t | Is to have a city of great population Strange to say, there Is a notable feel ing among the members of the legisla-, ture in this interest, and a demand that the state be given this city of size and influence, that 1t may be said of Alabama, like Georgia and Louisiana, that 1t has a great city, one to inspire influence in every direction and to call for the atten- ton of the world. Birmingham has been a great oity, but the friends of the state in the legislature. do not hesitate to con- graduate the people that 1t will be a greater one now.
 Hard Worker, J. B. Babb.
 J. B. Babb, secretary of the Birming- ham Chamber of Commerce, who has put In many days and weeks and months of hard work for the Greater Birmingham | bill, nas shown himself to be general | of no mean ability. Without membership in either house to give him prestige, he has been able to do fine service for the | bill in every way. Babb is an old news
 
 tics while a member of the legislature of 1 Tennessee. He was private secretary to | the governor of that state at one time l and came to Birmingham several years | ago to become managing editor of the Birmingham News.
 Future of John. Much has been said of the political fu- i ture of John W. Overton, solon of the | upper house. It has been doped out that he would try to be lieutenant governor. and again that he might some day have | shy at the congressional honors. But l these may all be on the wrong side of | the situation. The latest suggestion is | that he will seek to come next time to the house, and make the race for speaker of that body. He has a great number of | friends and the fact that he Is the daddy of the good roads amendment makes him very popular
 Merritt Is Growing. Few men in the senate have made them selves more generally felt than Senator Henry Merritt He Is man that believes l in sticking to the crowd, and in practice | of this he has voted and worked with | the majority all the time He may not have agreed always with the dominant l wing, but he ran with 1t, as 1t is his | crowd, and he is in a measure tied up | with it. Like a good democrat he sticks | with his people and works hard for the | leadership.
 School Fund Question.
 Though the joint resolution of Senator | Reynolds, having in view amendment | to the constitution by which the state l school funds will be distributed to the | counties on basis of attendance instead l of population, has been killed in the sen l ate committee, the state has not seen the last of the idea 1t Is thought. For | several years there has been complaint that the black belt, with it's large num- l ho. o< raorroas has socured far mora If