The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-31
North Alabama Leaders Here Yesterday Claim 70 Votes in House and
 23 in Senate
FORMAL REPLY TO
 HENDERSON WILL
 BE ISSUED TODAY
Plan Is to Repeal Smith and Parks Bills, Thus Leaving Fuller and Carmichael Laws in
 Effect

With 27 members of the house pres- ent and with three others who. all though in Birmingham, failed to reach the conference hall, prohibitionists caucused throughout yesterday and agreed to colaborate in harmony against the whisky traffic in Alabama.
 Henry P. Merritt of Tuskegee. one or the leading prohibitionists of the state, will leave Birmingham this morning with message from north Alabama prohibitionists to those Of south Alabama, who will confer to- day in the capital. That message con- sfsts simply of the programme of leg islative procedure which was adopted at the meeting here yesterday and which is maintained in a state of se- crecy. Mir. Merritt stated that the pro- hibitionists who attended the meeting in Birmingham yesterday added to those who have declared that they would attend the meeting in Montgom- cry today, constitute a majority of the total membership of the house.
 While what was done today will not be given out until tomorrow" said Mir Merritt last night, you may state in body for prohibition and at least 23 members of the senate"
 Henderson Statement Excites
 It is generally agreed-though no an- nouncement to this effect was author fzed or made-that the prohibitionists on the first day of the session of the legislature will introduce bill repeal ing the Smith and Parks local option bill and restoring ipso facto the Fuller and Carmichael prohibition measures They contend that following the dispo- sition of that subject they will be ready to attend to general constructive legis- lation.
 In this respect there was consider able discussion yesterday by those who attended the Birmingham conference oi the recent statement issued by Gov ernor-elect Charles Henderson. In this statement MT. Henderson declared tha; inasmuch as no state convention has been held the platform of the party is necessarily the platform on which he was nominated and elected gov ernor
 The prohibitionists yesterday de- clared that they too were elected on platforms and that the people who elected them were we'll aware of the principal plank in their platforms. They eontended, too. that they were just as zealous in the plan to protect the credit of the state and the good name of the state as the governor-elect.
 One of the leading prohibition mem bers stated after the conference that the utterance of the governor-elect had served to cement the prohibitions ists into a compact and inseparable organization and thus made certain the elimination of the liquor traffic in Ala : bama
 Will Make Reply
 MT. Merritt, 1t is learned, despite ret icence shown by those who attended the conference, was authorized to draft a reply to the statement of MT. Hen derson. It is understood that MT. Mer- ritt has already drafted that state ment and that after it is submitted to the prohibitionists in Montgomery to- day it will be given to the press.
 Those who attended the conference yesterday were Henry P. Merritt fl Macon, John B. Weakley of Jefferson N. w. Scott of Jefferson. Dan Walden of Morgan, D. C. Blackwell Of Cal houn, A. R. Brindley of Etowah, j. w Grady of Chambers, T. L. Harvey ol Marshall. J. w. Green of Dallas. D. R Copeland of Jefferson, A. Brown of Eto- wah. H. A. Stewart of Talladega, M. Y Sumner of Greene. Sam. Will John o1 Dallas Perry Henderson of Limestone T. F. Medley of Lawrence, John A. Dar- den of Coosa, J T. Bealle of Tuscaloosa, J. B. Dayie of Bibb, W. B. Cooper of Marengo, Y. L. Burton of Chambers w c. Davis of Walker, George A. Sorrell of Tallapoosa, w. $. Welsh of Jeffer- son, F. I. Tarrant of Jefferson, Ernest Fite of Marion and Fred Fite of Tus- caloosa.
 There was apparent confidence dis played by the prohibitionists and fol- lowing the meeting they did not he's itate to predict the passage through both houses of the legislature of a prohibition measure within the first few days of the session.