The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1920-01-11
BY e. e. FRANTZ.

! was senate Dill Carrying 80 iruVV ~
pay the salary and mileage Of the
! members ana contingent expenses OF
the two houses. AS might be expected
the measure met with no opposition
/ and was ordered sent to the house just
/ as soon as possible, several Of the sen T.
ators declaring they were busted al
ready and did not want their landla-
! dies to throw them out in the street
1 at the end Of the week.
/ The first resolution introduced was
by Senator Lowry, demanding an
amendment to the constitution extend
ing the right of suffrage to women.
This has nothing to do with the susan
/ B. Anthony amendment, and is sup
, posed to be in the nature of an etfort
to forestall favorable action on that
national proposition, or to pave the
way for a change in the constitution
that will pace negro women VINO can
not read and write under restrictions
/ similar to those that now keep down
and out the male negro vote In the
event they can read and write they
must be able to understand the con-
! stitution when read to them-some-
\ thing very few can do to the satisfac-
| ton of the registrar.
The Legislature convened on Tuesday
| and started off without the least fric-
ton. 1t had been expected that there
would be lively fight over the cleo
I ton OF a speaker, but there was but
one name suggested and the election
of Sennett Cooper OF Covington county
was unanimous.
Until the house had been called to
order it was generally supposed S. J.
owen, d newspaper editor of New AL
bany and Union county, would be nom
| mated. but Mr. Owen had seen the
handwriting on the wall and got out
of the track of the steam roller in time
to save his life, Mr. owen was the
administration candidate, being backed
for all he was worth by Governor Bill
DO and Governor-elect Russell, both OF
whom had spent a great deal of their
time Sunday and Monday around the
hotel Hobbies working for owen ana
doing their level best to whip their
followers in line. But it was no go,
and the administration was whipped TO
a FRAGILE. mike" Conner had three
fourths of the votes for speaker sewed
up and owen found that out when ne
held caucus Monday night When
time came to elect the speaker, Mt.
owen asked the privileges Of the floor
and spoke for half an hour. telling how
it happened. Among other things. ne
stated that had he listened to the temp
ter and agreed to do as some OF the
leaders wanted him to do he might nave
been elected. hut he considered his honor
above office. and declined all overtures.
HAS GOOD RECORD
M. Conner was speaker during the last
term of four wears, and his record was
one of the best ever known to the state.
His rulings had never been duestionei'
and there was never an appeal from tie
decision of tho chair. Few speakers "no
have served through three sessions OF a
10 c11ch boast as In1L-
During the course of his remarks after
his nomination Mr.. Conner called atteh-
tion 70 the fact that his enemies had CIR
culated a report in his county that ne
was a Stacker and had refused 10 ehteI
the war The fact that he defeateo ne
opponent by an Overwhelming vote ~ -
frst primary was evidence sufficient tnat
there was no truth in the charges he
Mad mot only enlisted during the early
dave NJ the war but had told the re-
cr,,i+in1 Officers that he was READY "
90 anv1vhere they said. He was exaihlnoo
and rejected Certificates to TINS sne e,
wore procured from the recruiting on
GERS. read over the county. ana ms ~
oonenA mt to rout Mr.. Conner Is u"o
1,o,,nrast man that ever held the speaker-
,1;, "a his reelection in face or the
strar,y factional opposition of the ou,-
rroinr as we'll as the incoming admiuis
tr.tiorr was distinguished honor INV
victory of which any man might wei
be proud
caorqe P. Power OF Jackson. was re-
alactad clerk of the house witnout appo
ton, proving veiv conc1.s.Nes
had made good last session.
Prt the senate did not seem 70 appn IA
cia+e i highly The services Of their ole
servants al was shown by the deIea1 =.
Iohn Falkner. secretary Mr. fatNnc1
s.4xdr.w his name before the vote wa
-, and the office went to JOSEPH
willis of Holmes county. MT faiAhei ~
hacked by the present heu,ehail ~
/ arno- Governor elect Russeii, anu
Willis, cause was champIoneu ~ ,Irayar
80 csovanorenor-elect Casteei HoweNr',
/ a4nssro Russe1l and Casteel are OF the
-a no noIitical fs elton, and their hght vas
! : fr;endlv one-very different from Nu.ae
raaEarshin contest in the house wne,e
Min administrations pulled on their eo 80
iand went for Conner without Gloves ~.
we've knocked clear of the ropes on s's
first round.
The seconds day of the session. 80"
both houses had been ORGANIZES c en-
| ,,o,rcad as ready for business, GoVernor
r.,ho anneared before the Joint session
"a road his "swan song" his last mes
s.ga nerhaps as he stepped down any
out January 20. The message was d -
ona taking one and half hours to reao,
II was also a good, strong paper eiiu "'
| lsetened to attentively- The governor
rad zone to a great deal OF troupe Y.
tnrena ring a budget for the guidance OF
! The, legislature in the matter OF raisins
lava exnendnr money during the next
4u,o years His estimate is that the state
win need s21 10000 ins192o-2l, as asainst
4 ABOUT $4,000 900 the preceding two years,
! ana which can be raised only by heaVy
bond issues or by increasing the tax Ivy
from 81 to ~ mills.
| Governor Bilbo comes out strong Tor
woman's suffrage and urges the ratifica-
! tion of the Susan r. Anthony amendment
=! to the constitution of the United states,
| saving, among other things: MISSISSIPPI
+, has always held an enviable position IN
| the enactment of wise and generous laws
| for women, and l am sure that southern
ohilvalrv and our lima te desire to do the
| lust and right thing in the disposition OF
every governmental question will lead TINS
! Legislature to an immediate ratification
! of the national amendment to the constr
| ton of the United States giving our
women the right to vote. -. The en-
! emies of this cause az seeking to defeat
| it by advancing the bugaboo that II we
ratify this national amendment we shall
1 be confronted with the negro women OF
! the state at our ele ,tion booths ever
lcising the right of franchise without
meeting the requirements and auaiifica-
1 tions as now provided for under our con-
stitution for all male voters. some OF
those who make this contention doubt
less are sincert. others know. or ought
| to know, BETTER
SCORES vARDAMAN
Governor Bilbo crosses swords with