The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-20

the benefit of the masses, and l am sorry I to say we have been dismally disappoint- ed Thus far we have only been able to have one law which we advocated passed, the electric headlight bill which did not effect but one road. inasmuch as we thought that the vast majority of ths
 members of the house, as we'll as the
 senate, were the representatives of the | Christian folks. and were high minded
 moralists. we anticipated no trouble in
 passing about 16 per cent of the laws for
 the benefit of the laboring man. that have been made law by standardization in most of tho states of the union. In other words, we did not, nor have have we tried, to pass all the laws that exist for the betterment of labor in most of the states. We merely asked ana wanted passed about Is per cent of these laws. Instead VIC have practically accomplished noth- ing and the sting of defeat has been keen ly felt by all.
 Prohibition Above All Things "The lawmakers in Montgomery have put prohibition above all and have used this tool to satisfy their constituents. We admit that they have made drastic pro- hibtion laws. but at the same time we
 are of the opinion that there are greater measures for the benefit of mankind than prohibition, or if the local optionists were in power and had done the same things to labor that this legislature has we could also see. and with just as clear vision that things far greater than local op- |stion were at stake and should be at tended to regardless of the liquor ques- tion It may be well for the present leg islators to know that at the engineers convention in Cleveland last June, a reso-
 lution was adopted whereby temperance
 was advocated to it's fullest extent. The laboring masses had reason to believe
 they had the upper hand in this legisla- ture for the right measures to be passed
 on account of both houses being predom-
 mated by the prohibitionists, who it was thought represented the mordiists and the
 church people. On this basis we went to Montgomery expecting to accomplish
 something, for we know that we had
 measures to introduce that would demand the vote of the moralists and the sup
 posedly good people. Did we get them
 passed? No we did not; instead we were spurned and treated with no consid- eration
 Take shapiro's loan shark bill for an instance. It was put before the legis- lature last January. Instead of voting on the measure and passing 1t as 1t should have been, they put the bill in the hands of the Judiciary committee. and there it was buried and never reported on until a few weeks ago when Mir. Shapiro got after them so hot that he demanded either an adverse or favorable report. With much hesitation and great misgv- ing the bill was reported favorably and driven through the house to victory. In turn 1t was reported to the senate Has the senate adopted 1t? No 1t has not. Again, 1t has been placed in the hands of the senate judiciary committee. How long will it stay there? It 10 not law yet the question is will 1t ever ret by the senate. No decent man could afford to stand on the eoor of the senate or house and op- pose that bill, 50 they turn 1t over to . few men to play with in hopes 1t will ultimately die . natural death. The people are tired of these antics by our legisia- ture. Let them pass all the prohibition bills they want to. but for the honor of our state and for the welfare of man. kind let them pass something else In the meanwhile"
 All of the trainmen report that they are having . royal time and many of them are delighted with the Bjrmlneham m district. Delegates from all over the country are present and they are look. ins forward with pleasant anticipation to the good times that are to como 10 the closing days of the session.