Birmingham state herald., 1895-10-27
POLITICS IN ALABAMA.

The Brundidge News has the follow
 ing survey of the political field in Ala
 bama
 "There are a. number Of gentlemen who will be before the convention for the high
 office of governor next year. Among those mentioned are Cen. c. M. Shelley of Birmingham. Hons. D. l.. Russell and
 Joseph Rich of Mobile and Gen George
 P. Harrison of Opelika, all sound money
 advocates. The free silver men who are desirous of a stroke of gubernatorial
 lightning are numerous. among whom may be mentioned Hon. Joseph F. John
 ston of Jefferson, Congressman J. H.
 Bankhead of Fayette, Hon. F. w. Pet
 tus of Selma, Gen. Joe Wheeler of Law renee and several others.
 Then, too, there Is Judge William
 Richardson of Madison, who, like a sim
 pering maiden, is coquetting between
 the governorship and the Eighth Con- greSsional district nomination. We opine
 that if the floor committee of the ball
 should tender him either he would hide
 his blushes behind his fan (party service) and accept it, whether rendered on a sill yer platter or d gold tray.
 Many of Governor Oates friends are
 in favor of his again making the race,
 and there is little doubt of his getting
 the nomination were he to enter the con
 test, but he is an avowed candidate for
 the United States senate to succeed MT.
 Pugh, and has declared that he doesn't
 want to be governor again. He might,
 however, under a strong pressure of par ty necessity. be induced to accept the nomination. But of this we cannot speak by the card. Congressman Clarke is out of the gubernatorial race, being also a candidate for MT Pugh's seat and it is safe to say that the latter will have to give place to the 'blue-eyed boy of destiny or the Pike farmer boy Next to Governor Oates, Hon. Joseph
 Rich of Mobile Is perhaps the strongest
 of the sound money men. His manage
 ment of the municipal affairs of his own city as mayor marked him as a man of decided executive ability while his high toned, manly canvass during the cam paign of last year put him before the people as man who would never depart from his high conception of principle for the sake of votes. place or power Should he be called to the gubernatorial chair Alabama will undoubtedly have an honest, clean administration of her af- fairs
 "If the silver men are disposed to do the fair thing they will relegate all other aspirants to the rear and push the claims of their earliest. ablest and most stead fast champion in this state-Ilon Jo- seph r. Johnston.
 "We are not a prophet nor the son of
 a prophet, but we think there are good reasons for thinking that the contest of
 next year will narrow itself down to those two gentlemen While we are not intending to espouse the cause of either, as against the claims of all others. we are free to say that we could very conscien- tiously support MT. Rich. should he re- ceive the nomination. and we have no hesitancy in declaring that. if by any pos sibilty, the free coinage element should happen to control the convention and name man for governor, that man should of right and justice be Joseph r. | Johnston. He has done more to strength | en that faction of the party than any other dozen men in It.