The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-15
BOTH HOUSES PASS
 PROHIBITION BILLS
(Continued from Page One)

their measures. They had the votes The odds against the local optionists were overwhelming. The prohibitionists thus protected, swore solemly that nothing could swerve them from their course What then mattered reason, or logic, or ethics, or economy, or even prophecy? And yet, they attempted to take the situation seriously. They combatted the arguments advanced against them Speaker Carmichael, as matter of fact went to the extreme of yielding his gavel to Colonel John and occupying the floor for several minutes in that future generations might not be kept unaware of the real part that he played He knew in advance that he could not change a single vote and, therefore, that his speech was unnecessary. But he spoke, and addressed himself, in great
 part, to the press table. MT, Davis os Walker was dramatic in his effort to frustrate the argument that the people of Alabama have always defeated move :
 ments akin to statewide prohibition. He even went to the extent of stating that he supported Congressman Underwood as against Congressman Hobson, but he
 did not remind his auditors that he, himself, once upon a time opposed Con gressman Hobson, and therefore loves him comparatively little.
 Bulger's Grafton
 And in the senate, Mir Bulger de- livered an oration which had 1t been 'sprung' on q Fourth of JulsiS would have caused the great Americsp1 eagle to scream, would have made the well<tn | ring, and caused the throat to crack
 now with boisterous laughter, and then the eye to become wet with tears. Noth- | ing like unto it had ever before been delivered in the senate, unless that de- 1uarv ha1 n ce1ahra tiOn of the Glorious Fourth" And Senator Jones. | the young pride of Barbour, man of | logic absolute, delivered himself of a | few short but well meaning phrases, and sat down finally amid the plaudits of | the entire assembly, And Senator
 Holmes of Baldwin spoke and Senator | Lusk and others of equal force In mat ters of logic and rhetoric.
 l But let it not be understood that the humor of the situation came alone from the side of the prohibitionists The | local optionists despite the unfavorable prospect. attempted to take the situa-
 tion seriously. MT. Hill of Montgomery argued at length. MT. Judge of Jeffer- son was flled-if one judges from ap- pearances-with a noble inspiration to dissuade those who could not by any argument be dissuaded. Mr. Hartwell of Mobile did well. He charged with the bravery of those who rode at Balaklava and with about as much success as the "Iight Brigade" achieved. And then Mir. Lewis of Macon, turned loose his heavy guns. With the report, the world seemed to reverberate. He swayed in his posi- tion, he gesticulated with dramatic eff | feet he pointed his finger as if guided | by a prophetic vision; and then he sat down, knowing perhaps in his heart | that he had performed in accordance
 with the dictates of his conscience, but | had performed nevertheless before an audience as incapable of appreciation as any other audience in the history of the universe.
 Glorious Day Passes
 And thus passed the glorious day. The bills are not as yet ready for the sig nature of the chief executive. It Is to be recalled that the Merritt bill, which originated in the house, has simply passed the house, and the Denson bill, which originated in the senate. has passed the senate only. Each bill must now be pre- sented and passed through that house
 through which it has not as yet passed.
 There Is no question but that each will
 succeed, and the indications are that one
 of them, perhaps both, will be on the
 desk of the governor by Saturday.
 It is the general impression that the
 governor will neither express approval
 or disapproval of the measure, but will
 permit it to await the accession of Mir.
 Henderson. That gentleman will. it is
 regarded as certain, attach to the bills his veto. Then will come the fight of the
 prohibitionists to pass it over his veto.
 It remains to be seen whether or not that feat can be accomplished
 And then what? Other prohibition meas. ures are en route. Those which were
 acted upon today are simply the Car
 michael and Fuller bills, those drastic