The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-08-13
Was Taken from Ad-
verse Calendar.
R0TTENESS OF LARGER
CITIES IS CITED
Only One Bill Was Passed During
the Day.
Il Was Re-enactment of the Child La
bog Law OF the state which Was
Unconstitutional Because
OF Clerical Errors.

Commission government for cities OF
Alabama and matters of more or less
incidental Importance occupied the en-
tire time Of the House Of Rcpresen-
tat,ves yesterday. There was but
single bill passed and this was the ex-
act re-enactment of the child labor Jaw
OF the State which. by the opinion OF
lawyers, il uncons.itu .ior.al because of
Senate clerical erro at the last SEES
sion.
Ar Irrquhart. OF Jefferson. ing ~"
d1initacio outhor of the biii Tor com
mission governn eIt In all tiles OF Az
aoaina, succeeded after hard nGnt IN
getting his measure taker from tne uo'
verse calendar and placed upon tne
regular calendar. His friends OF the
House rallied to his cause and over
came the great obstacle of an I'D
verse committee report which had oeen
sent by a vote Of eight to three
The dirty linen" of the larger cities
OF Alabama. the "rottenness OF poll
tics in the larger cities, the graft
that was charged al being rampant,
were flung into the House arena and
political charges and counter charges
were made by member against menu
Der. Those opposing the nioIioa TO
take from the adverse calendar argued
thai the bill was undemocratic while
those favoring 1t denied the assertion
and declared 1t to be the most Demo-
cratic proposition that could be sub
mitted to the people Of Alabama. 1t
was not intended to thrust the plan OF
government upon any city or commu-
nifty, 1t was explained by Mr.. Urqu.
hart. 1t was optional with the cities
to adopt 1t and even with q short ex-
pertinent they could restore the alder
manic plan.
LED Fight ON Bin.
Messrs. Gunter, OF Montgomery. ana
Long. of Butler, led in the fight against
the bill They chose as their theme
that II was undemoeratic for the era
sor that ct reduced the representa-
tive form OF government and put too
much power in three or Ave nafds.H
Three or i've such commissioners
could in the early hours of the morn
ing do more theft and commit more
graft than board OF aldermen might
DO in twenty years II they were dis
posed to so do" declared Mr.. Gunter
at one stage of the argument. And he
went on to add that there was no
more guarantee of the right selection
of the rulers In commission govern
ment than there IL today In the siec-
tion of aldermen. He agreed that the
proposition might be a good one II one
could always be sure OF the honesty
OF the commissioners and that they
would always bury self In their trans
actions.
The bill may be taken up for consid-
GRAFTON today through no such notice
has been given.
Journal Bill Defeated.
Quite the surprise OF the day In the
House was the defeat OF the John bill
to regulate the safe passage of bills
IN the Legislature. It was known that
there was a great demand for cor
rect keeping OF the Journals. ETC.. OF
the body as matter OF security
against clerical errors. That was adj
mitted all during the argument pro and
con on the John measure, but IL I'M
fortunately contained drastic provis-
ions, 30 regarded by a majority, ana II
failed OF passage by a narrow margin.
1t Is possible that a bill patterned at
ter the suggestions of Mr.. Tunstall. of
Haie' on the floor yesterday. may yet
be introduced.
The most Objectionable feature OF
the John bill was a provision requir-
ing bond of each oficer In the Leg
islature conditioned upon the correct
keeping OF the records. 1t gave q pen
atty of 5000 against the surety IL at
any time. ten or twenty years hence.
law was declared unconstitutional
for wilful error OF Clerk of House
or Secretary OF Senate,
There was praise, in this connection
FOR Clerk Cy Brown of the House. who
kept an erroriess Journal OF tina Iast
session.
Morning Session.
Mr.. John of Jefferson, opened the
hight FOR placing on the canlendar the
commission government bill which had
beeb reversed. He referred to the fact
that the bill had been originally re-
ported favorably, and hoped that the
members would vote to consider a.
Mr.. Gunter OF Montgomery said that
the Municipal Organization Commit
tee had voted to put the bill on the
calendar after numerous amendments
and that majority at that time had
voted for the report, saying they would
vote gainst 1t in the House. He said
1T had been recommitted at the sug-
gestton of one of the Jefferson delega-
tion and in order to hear the favor
able speeches, and that then the bill
had been adversed by a vote of to 8.
1t was charged by Mr.. Gunter. that
the bill had originated and was fost-
cred by men not identified with the
Democratic Party. As an instance he
pointed to Section 16 of the bill which
makes 1t violation OF the law to
hold primary for nomination of can
didates. He declared that the bill
strikes down the essential principles of
Democracy.
Mr.. Gunter said the men were IA
voring the bill because they declared
the city governments of Birmingham
Montgomery and Mobile were rotten to
the core. He said that some of the
men favoring the bill had virtually de-
clared that the Aldermen of Birming-
ham were rotten and ought to be put
IN the penitentiary."
Il can only say, gentlemen of the
House" continued Mr.. Gunter. az
there are not enough good people in
Birmingham to name a sound Board
OF Aldermen that will faithfully serve
the city, then God help them when
they are forced to choose a small num-
Der.
IT tell you, gentlemen. that three
bad men in one late night can steal
more and commit more graft thar a
Council in twenty years. I grant YOU
that II these three men or, Ave men
were proven to be good. IL they lost
self in the conduct Of the business Of
the city the affairs will be oarrtaA nm