The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-14
--------------.s.- LOBBY HAS LAUGHED WILL OF PEOPLE TO SCORN
.coutinued from Page One,

sons for their action was the fact that
 they had been told by leading prohi-
 bitionist perhaps by the powerful lobby
 direct, that nothing should be enacted
 which would be in effect "a mill stone
 about the neck of prohibition.f The other fact which is worthy or note or repetition. is that IA members of the house committee which chloro7 formed the equal suffrage bill had prom ised Mrs. Oscar R. Hundley of Birming ham to report the bill favorably-in other words to give the house an op- portunity to take action in one of sev- eral possible directions.
 Despite the fact that the committee had chloroformed the measure, Mrs. Hundley, night or two ago. renewed her appeal She reminded the committee that IA of it's members had promised to report the bill. She urged the com mittee. furthermore. to turn in the measure without recommendation. The committee heard Mrs Hundley and then declined to administer restoratives The lobby" in other words. was deter
 mined that the people should not De trusted.
 Defeat Threatens Lobby"
 And then came the question of a state
 bond issue. Governor Henderson de-
 clared that in his opinion, the measure
 WHS one tOnCtlNeu III WlSocii' w dS il't-
 essary to the welfare and the financial
 honor of the state. He did not ask the
 legislature to indorse the bond issue.
 He asked the legislature to let the peo-
 pie pass upon it's merits and demerits.
 its perfections and imperfections.
 The Hobby" immediately got to work.
 For the first time, it was about to
 sustain its partial" defeat. House lead CTS rebelled, and the friction engendered
 lxx,. ,iaI,n o1 I 1
 CT Merritt, Mr. Davis of Walker and other influential prohibitionists, sup
 ported the bond issue. They have been "griddled" and if reports are true, the powerful lobby" has signed their knells. It is even reported that Car michael will mot be supported in his contemplated race for governor, and that as floor leader, Mir. Merritt will be supplanted by Mr. Brindley of Etowah The '1obby" having lost in the house carried out it's threat to beat the bono issue in the senate. It has already beer related with what splendid success tho threat was materialized in fact. Is Charge Sustained?
 The first session of the legisla tur' will be adjourned Thursday night. The only state legislation of consequence which by that time will have been en- acted is statutory prohibition. And thus there is apparent reason in the charge | that few other legislatures have beer so industrious and so lacking in note- worthy achievement.
 And stated above. the legislature composed in great part of prohibitions ists of the ultra" or "uncomproms ing variety, driven. according to in, dication and general belief, by Hobby of industrious, intelligent, rich and in. defatiaable politicians, has established 6 precedent which if adhered to through | the ages, will result in the people sit ting patiently and penitently in a dis. nal corner prepared for those ignored and held in contempt
 And thus it may happen that there will be another gathering like the ono at Runnymede where the pirate baron' | were forced to yield and deliver tho Magma Charta.