The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-16
LOCAL OPTION IN
 SENATE FRIDAY Moody and Parks Bills To
 Be Voted Upon
HALF HOUR APART
Local Optionists in Senate Last Night Expressed Confidence That the Parks Bill Will
 Carry
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

By HUGH w. ROBERTS Montgomery, February 15.-(Special.)-- I The Moody dispensary blll and the Parks | local option bill were made this morn I ing a special order of business for Fri | day.
 l At Il 80 o'clock the Moody bill will be considered.
 l considered
 l According to the plan of the local ortionsts the Moody bill will be voted down or indefinitely postponed, and the Parks bill, which will be considered half ar hour afterwards, will be passed. | If the Moody bill is defeated-and the local optionists are positive that it will belt is generally thought that no other dispensary bill will be introduced as a | substitute for pure and simple local | option.
 From the indications 1t appears certain | that the prohibitionists will not align themselves with the dispensary advocates | for the purpose of conducting filibuster It is indicated that after the defeat of the Moody bill the fight will devolve it. self upon the issuc-and that no techni- calities will be presented for the purpose of muddying the waters or postponing action.
 The Bill Reported l The temperance committee of the sen ate, having agreed by vote of 6 to the night before, reported the Moody and Parks bill favorably this morning. Immediately after the report Senator Moody moved that, inasmuch as he is nj of In, tha hac nh, ot ha present time, the bills be made a special | order of business for Friday and not Thursday, and that the Moody bill be considered at 11:30 o'clock and the Parks bill at noon.
 | On motion of Senator Screws this prop osition was refererd to the rules commit | tee
 The rules committeee met at 1 o'clock. and after a short debate adopted the sug- gestion of Senator Moody. Members of the committee point out the fact that it makes no difference whether the Moody or the Parks bill is considered first. They argue that If the Parks bill was given precedence. the Moody bill, having been offered as substitute, would be voted on first anyway. | Sc the local optonists are satisfied. and l tho dispensary advocates are satisfied. I The prohibitionists have no other alterna- tive than to be satisfied.
 What Will Occur l At 11:3o o'clock, therefore. the dispen- ssry bill of Senator Moody will be pre- scented.
 | Following It's entrance upon the stage, l Senator Moody will make his address. It 1 is believed that the senator will go over the field thoroughly in his characteristic cally thorough manner. He will advocate the dispensary as progressive, and, at the same time, a conservative state poli- cy It is expected that he will speak for half an hour.
 The local optionists are certain that they will vote the Moody bill to it's death when the vote on it's final passage Is called Tor They are absolutely confident. They de- clare that they have IS votes pledged, and pledged in such manner that there Is no chance of one of them being con verted by argument.
 The Parks bill will make its entrance at the noon hour, and then will begin strenuous though honest fight. It Is ex- pected that Senator Stevens. senator Screws. Senator Spragins and probably Senator Atkins will make the leading speeches in favor of the bill. The leaders of the fight against the bill will be Sem atol Crumpton, Senator Norman and Sen ator Miller.
 Strength of "Standpatters"
 1 the ardent dispensary advocates will vote against the Parks bill even after the Moody bill is killed it is not expected that they will lead the fight against the bill.
 And in this connection it might be Interesting to state that the strength of the ultra ra-prohibitionists, the dyed in tn e. wool, the uncompromising stand patters, Is not to be considered m comparative sense.
 The prohibitionists of the senate are Senator Crumpton. Senator Norman, Senator Miller and Senator Fite.
 Fifty per cent of the members of the senate are local optionists-straight out from the shoulder. There are about F members of the senate who are ardent dispensary advocates and will support prohibition rather than a local option bill. which would make the return of the legalized saloon possible.
 Regulations To Follow
 So positive are the members of the senate that the Parks bill will be en- acted into law that the word has all ready gone out, Prepare regulations"
 A provision of the Parks bill pre- cludes the effectiveness of that meas ure until a bill of regulations for the traffic in liquor is passed by the house.
 While there will of necessity follow a strenuous pitched battle when the regulation bill is introduced 1t is not expected that the vote will be close and the scrap as bitter as was the case in reference to the Parks bill.
 When Governor ONeal signs the Parks bill it Is the best opinion that the backbone of statewide prohibition as 1t is today will be broken.