The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-07
GIVES SOME CREDIT
 ID TIE LEGISLATURE
State Executive Hands Bouquets to the Administration But Fails to Arouse Enthusiasm in Con-
 stitutional Amendment.
BY ROY ONEAI.

Huntsville, September 6-(SpeciaL)-- Gov. B. B. Conner defended his admin istration and urged the adoption of the constitutional amendment as a necessity for the protection of the prohibition laws in a two-hour speech at a prohibition rally here today. He was heard by IL crowd of considerable size. but there was no enthusiasm aroused. Governor Conner came up from Madison this morning by private conveyance after having deliv- cred a speech there last night.
 He was the guest of Representative Nathan Rowe.
 R. E. Pettus, president of the Law and Order league introduced Governor Conner to the crowd today and said that had Diogenes lived until now and had his lantern looking for an honest man he would blow out his light when he found the Governor.
 Governor Conner said he was elected on a platform, every item of which has been engraved in the laws of the state He asked that credit for this be given the legislature and Representatives Rowe and Kirby of this county. He said the money that has been spent by his administra- ton has been invested to a good pur- pose. He had aimed to have a public road leading from every home on every hill and in every hollow leading up to a school house.
 Soldiers Pensions.
 He denied that the old soldiers had been deprived of the money due them. saying the increase in the number of pensioners was responsible for the decrease in the amounts received by individuals Any man who tries to throw dirt on the leg islature for its treatment of the old soldiers is a demagogue and don't know what he is talking about" he said. He handed the Conner administration a few bouquets for reducing freight and pas senger rates and roundly denounced Judge Jones for enjoining the state laws. But thank God. he said, for Judge Shelby and the higher court that decided Judge Jones was in the wrong. As long as I am governor you will have those oppressed you just offer to pay the old rate. They will take it.
 Governor Conner then took up the ques- ton of temperance and explained that he made the race for governor as local optionist but after the legislature in it's first extra session passed state wide prohibition bill he did not see fit to veto it and put his judgment up against three fourths of the legislators. The time had come when he was compelled to line up with the whisky men or the temperance people and he chose the latter. He urged the friends of the administration to fol- low. Another thing that converted him to the prohibition side he said was the condition bordering on anarchy in Bir- mingham, Montgomery, Decatur and Mo- bile growing out of violations of the pro- hibition laws in effect before the last ex- tra session. He thinks the people of the state have been paying too high a price for the privilege of having whisky. He boasted of putting every club in Alabama out of business and said the members of those clubs will have no place to go but home; that many young men who might become old bachelors would be influenced by the laws to marry and raise fauai- lies.
 Might Repeal Laws.
 The new laws he said might be repealed by the next legislature unless the amend ment to the constitution is adopted. The amendment would prevent the legislature from repeating the prohibition laws with out full knowledge and consent of the people. An agent of the brewers is even now, he said, busy in the state to shape the next democratic platform. He begged the people not to turn the tiller of the grand old ship of state back over to tho whisky people.
 The governor attempted to line up the people of the county against the city and attacked the dispensary system that was in effect here as iniquitous and as sap ping the life blood of the county for the benefit of the city. The Madison county dispensary was a county institution. He Is thankful for the rural vote on these questions
 He closed by charging that no man who is truly a prohibitionist will vote against the amendment. Unless the amendment is adopted the whole elabor- ate system of prohibition laws may fall at the hands of some sneaking legisla- ture.
 Rev S. E. Watson spoke in the after- noon. He made a wholesale arraignment of the anti-prohibiton newspapers and charged them with accepting bribes In the form of advertising or money.
 Governor Conner left this evening for GurIey where he delivered an address. Tomorrow he wiu go to Owens Cross Roads in Madison county and then to Scottsboro.
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