The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-19
NEXT LEGISLATURE
 WILL WAGE BATTLE Conner Is Fighting to Close
 Saloons MANY ARRESTS MADE O,Neai Platform Demands Modification of Present Laws and Battle Royal Will Soon Commence-Comer
 Talks on Situation

l Montgomery, November 1S.-A memora- ble fight is coming before the Alabama legislature which meets in January. The prohibitionists are waging secret cam palgn to prevent the repeal of the pro- hibition laws, and the local optionists arc conducting a more open fight for the re- peal of those laws. The democratic plat form on which Governor-elect O'Neal and other state officials were elected this
 month demands a modification of the drastic laws now on the statute books. Mir. o'Neai held a conference of his friends here last night and today to discuss this legislation.
 Governor. Conner is making a hard fight to force the closing of the saloons before he goes out of office. It Is understood that in line with his policy every saloon in the state now operating in open de- fiance of the law will be closed by in- 1 junction and when an injunction is slapped on a saloon in Alabama 1t can not open it's doors for 30 days, being locked by the court.
 Governor Conner has had one or two of his famous heart-to-heart talks with Sheriff Hood of this county this week and he says he told the sheriff of this county that conditions here demanded either that the present officers should do their duty or give place to those who would" Following this. the sheriff today ar rested 30 saloonkeepers and served 100 warrants issued on grand jury indict- ments. No raids were made.
 It is said that the same energy that is being put into demand for the enforce nf ha r,rnhnhfffnr1 Ia uvz in Rir-- mingham will be instituted here and In Mobile and there are hints of impeach- ment proceedings against some of the sheriffs. Word comes from Mobile that complaints will be filed against Sheriff Drago of that county for non-enforce- ment of the law. Drago's reply to this is that there Is no sentiment in that county fayoring tie enforcement of the law and that the trial juries are rotten, never convicting any man he arrested.
 Governor Conner today gave out the fol- lowing interview on the situation in this county:
 How can Montgomery hope to keep the trade of the young countrymen who come to great agricultural center with their money when they are met as they leave the railroad station by gamblers who leao them into gambling houses. where they are robbed of their money?"
 If the unwary find these places, why cannot the officers do the same thing?"
 During the fair here In October a young man of good family and neigh bor of mine got drunk. and on his way home fell from the train and broke his mock As luther result of the prohibi- ton violations here I understand that the son of a high official of Montgomery, who frequented house of lewdness and liouor near Pickett Springs, is now at sanitarium trying to recover his reason and his manhood"
 Mobile, November 1s.-(Speciel.)-- Sheriff J. S. Drago believes he has done as much in the enforcement of the state prohibition laws as any like of- ficer of the state. The statement fol- lows the crusade now being waged through efforts of Gov. B. B. Conner to stop violations of the law.
 The sheriff said today: T have suc- ceeded in keeping the violations down and there is no attempt to violate the law openly in this county by anyone have done everything that the sher- ifs of other counties have Just begun to do. The injunction was in force in Mobile some time ago. but what can an officer do when nine-tenths of the people eligible for jury duty are op- posed to the enforcement?"