The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-14


 : ing."-senator Screws of Montgom- >
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 Montgomery, February 3.-(Special)- VIII the Moody bill be offered as d sub stitute for the Parks bill in the senate
 Or will the Parks bill be offered as g substitute for the Moody bill?
 It all depends on the vote of Senator Rogers in the chamber of the temper ance committee.
 If he votes in favor of the Parks bil that bill will be reported favorably. II ne votes in favor of the Moody bill that bill will be reported favorably.
 | It is a certainty that one of the bills will be reported favorably The other will be offered as substitute.
 Senator Rogers is not in the city to. day. The local optonists believe thai he will support the Parks bill in the com mittee. The prohibitionists, however, de- | clare that he is an advocate of the dis- pensary and will not aid the passage oi any bill which will precipitate an cleo ton in Lowndes county, as result oi which the saloon might be established in that county.
 There are nine members of the tenn perance committee Senator Moody, Sen ator Norman, Senator Crumpton and Senator Miller are as certain to vote against the Parks bill as the dawn to- morrow is certain. Senator Stevens, Sen ator Justice, Senator atkins and Senator l Spragins will support the Parks bill.
 It is seen. therefore, that Senator Rog- CTS possesses the balance of power.
 Seed Another Obstacle
 There are s4 members of the senate In case of tie in the vote Lieutenan Governor Seed will cast the deciding ballot. His vote will not support the | Parks bill
 Therefore, it is imperative that the local optionists go into the battle with IS votes if the fight for the Parks bill is | to be victorious fight.
 | It is a safe prediction that the vote | will be close. The local optionists have gone over the ground carefully and feel certain that they will win The prohibitionists. having formed 5 | COdiltlOH WltD tHt 0iSptiiodiy fduNO- cates, are confident that they will win
 The best opinion is that the Park: | bill will go through the senate. though l there is no effort being made to con ceal the fac; that the final vote vii be too close for absolute comfort.
 For the local optionists, however | there is consolation in the fact thai | careful investigation has produced ni proof of the rumor that the senators | who are corporation attorneys will not support the Parks bill because certain 1 sections of the revenue bill are direct ed against the corporations.
 The members of the senate who arc | corporation attorneys will support ol oppose the Parks bill on the merits or demerits O. the Parks bill. From what can be learn ed no corporation attorney who Is a m ember of the sen ate will sWerve from an original in- | tention to support local option be- | cause of an alleged purpose of the ad- ministration to make corporations pay | their pro rata share of the taxation oi | the state.
 Preparing for Regulations But the local optionists of the house and the senate feel certain that the Parks bill NH glide through the sen ate without material amendment, just as 1t glided through the house of rep | | of the lower house are already pre- | pairing a bill for the regulation of the | traffic in liquor in those counties whicl | vote for the return of the saloon. oi which vote in favor of the establish ment of dispensary.
 l Unless the local optonists. who put through the Parks bill in the house can agree in caucus concerning a bil l of regulation and then. having agreed report the bill and pass 1t through the l house irrespective of strenuous oppo- sition and political manouvering, Il l would require month of parleying te make the Parks bi)l effective.
 According to the plan. however. the local option majority in the house wil caucus and will continue to caucus un' 1 til some agreement Is reached. Whei | that agreement Is reached bill VII | he reported and put through TO this caucus, or these caucuFeS members of the senate will be invited for it will be imperative to adopt th' | same tactics in the senate The vote IT each house is so close and the situation so tense that local optionists have agreed that the time Is not mature for carrying a point through force of argument alone | The premeditated action of numbers is considered absolutely necessary.
 What Parks Bill Offers
 There was great rejoicing when the l Parks bill passed the lower house.
 But the Parks bill Is nothing more ol less than declaration.
 If says in effect that prohibition Is no irrevocably fastened about the necks o the people. But the chance of relegatins that system of regulation to the past is | almost desperate chance.
 The Parks bill provides that In each county 45 per cent of the qualified voters | uho voted in the last gubernatorial cleo tion-not primary--can. by petitionins the probate judge. call an election, the op' l fions of which election shall be three prohibition, dispensary or regulated sa loon.
 If the Parks bill passes the senate ard is signed by the governor bill reg ulatng the traffic in liquor must bs l passed. for provision of the Parks bil precludes the effectiveness of that bil until bill of regulations Is passed. | When the bill of regulations Is passed some difficulty will be experienced IT procuring 45 per cent of the qualified | voters of county Suppose 45 per cen ~ esxs--