The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-01
Man Who Is Too Serious Was At Disadvantage
FUQUAY CAUSE OF JOKES
Law Enforcement Resolution Amended Putting Senate on Record ns Op- posed to Encroachments of
 the Boil Weevil
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS


 Montgomery, January 31-(Special) )-The man who takes things seriously was at a great disadvantage today. The majority in both houses of the legislature was against him.
 The senate, for instance, was thrown into an hysteria of laughter when the res oiution of the house, adopted last Satur- day, was presented to the senate for con- currence.
 As is remembered, the resolution was originally introduced by Representative Fuquay of Talapoosa, and demanded of Governor O'Neal that he enforce the pro- hibition laws. The resolution was rear ranged by the rules committed. but still contained, it was generally agreed, a di- rect slap at Governor O'Neal. The friends of the administration, as has been ex- plained, extracted the fangs, and the res olution which went to the senate for con- currence was, in ordinary language, as follows:
 Be 1t resolved by the house-provided the senate concurs-that the prohibition and all other laws should be enforced"
 When the resolution reached the senate the senate laughed. Senator Moulthrop of Barbour offered an amendment as fol- lows
 And be it resolved, That the senate is opposed to the encroachments of the boil weevil, and to the devastation of other pestiferous insects; is in favor of good reads, and Is hopeful that until Christmas good weather will prevail"
 The resolution, as amended, went to the senate committee on rules. As the sen ate has had it's fun as it desires out of an alleged attempt to insinuate that Gov ernor ONeal is not in favor of the en- forcement of prohibition laws, 1t is prob able that the resolution in question will not be sprung again until the dawning of very dull and uninterestng afternoon.
 HumOr in the House
 The house, too, was in an exceedingly light mood.
 Representative Pegram of Marengo in- troduced liquor bill of novel provisions. IJ 1t is enacted into a law, every man who buys a drink must have equipped himself with a license. In other words, he would make the consumer and not the retailer of liquor pay for the existence of liquor traffic.
 And Representative Chamberlain intro- duced bill which would be considered necessary in Illinois or New York but which, unless Birmingham eventually att tains a population of 100000, can hardly serve rarpose in Alabama. It Is an anti white slave bill, with the usual provisions Several members of the legislature, after the introduction of the bill, declared that they had never heard of white slave traf- Gx tv, A IaI I,,., 11,,% +I.At q earnestly desired the passage of the bill they would vote for it on grounds of per- sonal freindship They advanced the idea, too, that within score of years Alabama might send up prayers for the legislator who, in the long ago, foresaw the evils of the future.
 And just as the fun making reached It's height Representative Matthews of Clarke introduced his pet bill seeking to pre- vent dogs from running at large in Clarke county. Several members of the legisla- ture wondered aloud If Mir Matthews bill provided for the necessary escorts, and If there was provision whereby the state would be compelled to pay the sal aries of these escorts.
 The house did pass the bill of Repre- tentative Judge of Jefferson providing for an increase in the salary of Adjt Gen Joe Scully from s15OO to 5000. The vote was close, 55 to 41. The entire Jefferson county delegation, with the exception Of Mir. Percy, voted for the blll
 Local Option BiII Introduced
 Before adjourning for the day in honor of the late Col. E. L. Russell, Represen- tative Smith introduced the general local option bill which was explained in The Age-Herald this morning
 Representative Brindley of Etowah. who Is nradually stIpplautipg Da.,,~, tative Merritt as the leader of the ultra standpatters. precipitated debate con corning the wisdom of the publication of the bill. The idea was opposed by Representative Smith, Representative Long and others, and supported by Rep resentative Brindey, Representative Mer- rltt and others
 Eventually, however. MT Brindley, re- alizing that he was fighting a useless fight, called for the horrible alternative that of having the bill read by the clerks. The bill is one of 50 pages and nearly 100 sections, and the reading of the caption alone taxes the voice of one man.
 Representative Pitts, however, settled the point. Having obtained permission, he spoke: "i desire to call the atten- tion of the members of the, house to the fact that the state would be put to more expense in the consumption of the time necessary for the reading of the bill than. were 1000 copies of the bill printed"
 The wisdom of the remark carried weight. and the bill was not read The ultra-standpatters, however, were con- soled by promise that if the committee decided to report the bill favorably it would, at the same time, order enough copies printed to accommodate the prohi- litionists and others who are interested.
 The calender of the day was the heaviest of the session. loaded down as it was with 50 bills ready for passage. Two were disposed of before adjourn ment.