The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-26


 In the Georgia Commonwe edith, the organ of the Georgia Anti-Saloon beague. in it's issue of April ,, 1916, the Superintendent of the league and managing editor of the paper, pub nshed an article under the picture of Judge Samuel D. Weakley, of Bir- mingham, adviser of the Alabama Anti Saloon league from 1907 to 1919. and wrote of him as follows
 Hon. Samuel D. Weakley, of Bir- mingham, Alabama, whose photograph the Commonwealth requested for this issue, has shown his friendship for Georgia and other states in a valu- able wayvdurigg the past year and is due debt of gratitusa from those states for the legal services in fra ming prohibition laws. He was formerly chief justice of the supmere court of Alabama and has been the legal ad. wiser of the Anti-Saloon league of Ala bama from 1907 to the present time, He drafted the first Alabama state wide prohibition law in 1907 and also two advance laws known as the Car michael and Fuller bills, in 1909, which destroyed locker clubs and near-beer saloons in Alabama at that time. These two bills were re-enacted by the legis- lature of Alabama in 1915 and were supplemented by the anti-advertising and restricted shipments bill All of these laws were stoutly assailed in the courts by the liquor interests and were personally defended by Judge Weakley, who argued the case for the prohibit tion people ill the supreme court. In every instance he was successful. and as result every important provision of all these laws has been sustained by the supreme court of Alabama.
 Judge Weakley drew the three new Georgia laws, known as the basic or omnibus bill, the nti-advertising bill and the anti-shipping bill. They are all modelled after the Alabama laws which as above stated. have all been sustained, and Judge Weakley has eX- pressed the confident opinion that the Georgia laws will all be sustained by the supreme court of Georgia, if brought to a test We are therefore enabled to say with confidence. that there is no flaw in the Georgia laws. It should also be stated that Judge Wea<ley did the work for Georgia gratuitously; not a cent was asked nor paid for his services. (Note: These Georgia laws were all sustained by the Georgia courts).
 The Alabama legislature of 1915, with the approval of the governor named Judge Weakley as the head of commission of five to go beLpre con- SIeSS dllu dSh TOT, the enactment OI d law to exclude liquor circulars and liquor advertisements from the mails, when addressed into prohibition terri tory where it is unlawful to advertise liquors or solicit orders therefor At the request of the Alabama delegation in Congress, he drafted a suitable bill for that purpose which has been intro duced in the Senate by Hon. John H. Bankhead of Alabama, chairman of the
 
 post roads, and has been introduced into the House by Congressman-a large Hon. John w. Abercrombie of Alabama. In February of this year G916), the Alab anna commission ap- peared before the post office commit tees of the House and Senate and con- ducted a public hearing in behalf of the Federal bill, which has been endorsed by the national antisaloon league. It is believed that within a year this bill will be enacted into law. (Note: It was enacted March, 1917)
 (Note: Judge Weakley, Fred M. Jackson and Walter Sessions made two trips to Washington to execute their commission from the legislature of Alabama)
 Judge Weakley has written a brief for the supreme court of the United States in the West Virginia case in- volving the validity of the Webb Ken yon law, which was adopted, signed and filed with the supreme court by the attorney general of fifteen prohi- bition states.
 At the anniversary birthday cele- bration of Hon. w. J. Bryan, in Lincoln, Neb., on March goth, 1916, Judge Weak ley by invitation of MT. Bryan, deliv- cred an address on prohibition, the occasion being the opening of the Ne braska campaign for the adoption of constitutional prohibition amendment. -.
 Judge Weakley is deeply interested in nationwide prohibition and is re- cognized throughout the union as an authority on all phases of prohibition law. He has participated in Alabama, since 1907, in which prohibition was an issue.
 For seven years from 1907 to 1914) special counsels for the state of Ala bama. in the litigation with the five railroad companies, involving freight and passenger rates, which went through the various stages to the su- preme court of the United States, as result of which litigation Alabama ob- tained two and one-half cent pas senger rate and reduced freight rates In 1910, in that litigation, he spent six months in Savannah. taking testi- mony in the Central of Georgia rate case, and about four months in Atlan- ta in 1911, in the same way, in the Western of Alabama railway case
 He is a frequet visitor to Atlanta and is thoroughly familiar, with Geor- gia and Georgia conditions He pre- diets wonderful things for Georgia from the new prohibition laws. since similar laws. according to the testi- mony, even of those who opposed them, have brought rich blessings to Alaba- ma citizens, notably to Birmingham, the souths great industrial center.
 This learned jurist and friend of humanity will always find a warm welcome awaiting him from the good citizens of Georgia"
 Judge Weakley has been a Wood man of the World for more than twenty-four years;
 A Presbyterian elder for sixteen years;
 member of the American Bar as- sociation sixteen years;
 A member of the Alabama Bar as- sociation for more than twenty-five Selma he was elected vice president of the state association.
 He is also vice president of the Bir- mingham Bar association, and accord- ing to custom will be promoted this fall to the office of president of the bar association of his home city, where he has lived and practiced law for more than thirty-two years.
 He was born July Is, 1860. at Som- erville. Morgan county, Alabama, the son of parents both of whom were born in Alabama..in 1887.
 tPaid political advertisement pub lished by the Samuel D. Weakley Sen atorial Campaign Committee, 1909 Am RYi1 h,