The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-15
PASS
 BILL IS KILLED Acrimonious Debate Lasts
 for Two Hours VOTE WAS 46 TO B
Lee Long Leads Opposition to Meas ure for Exchanging Advertise ing Space for Railroad
 Transportation
Fly BERRYMAN G. BETTY

fly bEhHl MAN G. BETTY
 Montgomery, February 4-(Special) : After one of the bitterest and most acri. monious debates that has taken place ir the house during the present session oi the legislature the bill providing trans porte ton to newspaper men throughout the state in exchange for advertising was defeated by a vote of 46 to 33. The bill which had been made the special para mount continuing order for today. was debated for about two hours during which time the speaker of the house and other prominent leaders entered into the discussion of the measure with fervor surpassed only by the fight last week on the Parks local option bill
 Since the introduction of the bill some weeks ago newspaper men throughout the state had worked faithfully for the pas sage of the measure, and it was at first believed that the bill would pass without ary considerable opposition. A strong as set which the bill was believed to pos scss was the provision allowing passes only in exchange for advertising, but it was found shortly after the bill had
 
 vision was not sufficient in the opinion of the members of the house to put such a law on the statutes. and the issue was IIetty clearly seen long before the ques- tion was put to vote.
 Many Speeches on the Bill
 Mir. Williams of Barbour, the author of the bill, was the first speaker in de- fense of the measure. MT. Williams said he was not the special advocate of the in the state. or their agent, but that he thought the bill was just and that the newspaper men of the state were entitled to passes in exchange for advertising.
 The speaker declared that newspaper r,en were moulders of public thought, and that he did not believe that any or them would be corrupted. He said thai the granting of passes to the newspaper ner of the state would work material advantage, particularly as they would De able to visit various parts of the state Tor the purpose of keeping in touch with all the live questions of the day pertaining to the state, whereas, without free trans portation many of the newspaper men would not be able to travel over the state in the interest of their community. He declared that newspaper representa- lives would not be influenced by the fact that they carried free passes in their nockets, and urged the passage or the bill.
 Longs Opposition
 Representative Lee Long of Butler lead the opposition in the hght. lie saic that he knew he would array all the newspapers of the state asains. mn, bv his opposition. but that he believed tne measure was unjust. He said that holders of newspaper passes become the servants of railroads: that they are biased and influenced in favor Of the corporations, and that they are a1ralu to print the accurate news concerning the railroads because of the fact that they are virtually servants Of the roads.
 If this bill becomes a law" de- clared MT. Long, the state will go hackward 25 years. When we do fla vor. we expect favor in return.
 MT Darden of Blount also opposed the bill. He said the railroads did not object to granting passes because they expected something in return for them. He declared that if the bill became law he would like to establish news paper himself, as he would not be averse to riding on free passes.
 Instructions By MT. Williams
 At this point MT. Williams arose and said he would like to ask MT. Darden a question On permission be- ing granted, MT. Williams asked:
 would the granting of passes by railroads Influence you to any extentY''
 "Yes. sir; they would replied MT. Darden. "If man offers me a drlnS I offer hirn one in return. It IS human nature"
 Later MT. Darden said: Every man has his price. and 1t may be that have mine"
 Almon Speaks
 Speaker Almon said that he had not intended speaking on the subject but that aspersions had been cast on news paper men in the state and that he arose in their defense. The speaker de- clared that he knew newspaper men who were among the best citizens of the state-men of high moral character and integrity who would scorn to will fully do a wrong, and that the remarks of some of the gentlemen who had spoken to the effect that they would be influenced by the fact that they car
  not. go unchallenged.
 Judge Almon referred at length to MT Longs speech in which he said the state would be set back 25 years by the passage of the bill; also to the statement of MT. Long that railroads would with draw passes from newspaper men who fought them.
 In answering this statement Judge Al mon said that during the campaign oi Governor Conner, in which the strongest attack was made on the railroads of the state, there were newspaper men who accompanied Governor Conner with news pauer passes in their pockets, and that nc effort was made on the part of the road, to withdraw these passes.
 Other Speakers
 Judge Almon was followed by MT. Pc gram of Marengo county, who favored thu bill MT. Pegram declared that the bii was just, and that it should pass thu house. Mir. Pegram was followed by MT Thomas who opposed the bill. MT. Merritt of Macon county also op posed the bill, declaring that while he be lievcd newspaper men in the state to b. as fair as any other clas sof citizens, ant to be men of as high moral character ant integrity and fearlessness, he did no think the bill should become a law. H. said that under the provisions of the bill any man in the state could become { special agent or representative of a news paper.
 MT. Brown of Pike said that he owned xf,ok l., =