Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-18
GEN. E. W. PETTUs CHOSEN.

There are thousands of people in Ala
bama who regret that Senator Pugh is
not to be his own successor, but we are
sure that there are very few if any who
do not rejoice in the fact that the demo-
cratic party has embraced the opportunity
of repaying in a measure the faithful SER
vice which 1t has received at the hands
of Gen. Edmon w. Pettus 1t devel-
oped soon after his announcement that
Gen. Pettus was the strongest candidate
in the race. Each day his election grew
more certain.
There was no particular opposition to
Senator Pugh. Everybody was ready
and willing to concede the fact that he
had made a faithful and efficient repre-
sentative of the people of Alabama in the
senate of the United States The only
objection that was ever urged against
him at all was his age. When Gen. Pet
tus finally announced his candidacy it
was from some quarters suggested that
the same objection would lie against the
'old democratic war horse" from Dali
las, but to this the people would not
listen. The opportunity had come for the
democracy of the state to show in a ma
terial way the esteem in which the man
for so many years in so many ways
served 1t, never asking and always de-
cining all offers of political preferment.
Gen, Pettus is a naive Albanian hav-
ing been born in Limestone county this
state. He is rs years old and has been
in the active practice of his profession,
the law, since 1872.
Gen. Pettus never sought or held polit-
ical office. His announcement as a can
didate for the senate marked the begin
ming of his career as an office seeker.
The people of Alabama have known
Gen. Pettus all his life which has been
spent in their midst. great part of it in
the service of the democratic party. AS
a confederate soldier he served his state
four years and a Drawer soldier never APP
peared upon battlefield.
Gen. Pettus always took lively inter-
est in politics and long since became per-
sonally acquainted with all the leading
men of the state and most of the leading
democrats throughout the country. He
has often headed the delegation from
Alabama to the national democratic con-
ventions and we dare say there is not
today in the United States a democratic
leader who is more widely known and
whose sterling qualities are more highly
appreciated by the leaders of all parties.
who has never served the party except
in the ranks, Gen. Pettus is one of the
truest of men. He is a man of ideas and
convictions and no one ever found any
trouble in ascertaining how he stood on
any question or for whom he stood in
any contest.
The democratic legislature has done
we'll in choosing him as one of the repre-
sentatives of this state in the highest
branch of the highest legislative body
in this country. He is thoroughly in line
with the platform of his party and is
now and will until the day of his death
be Just where he said in his acceptance
speech he had always been, with his
people"
On next Tuesday the general assem-
bly, will meet in joint session and the
choice made by the democratic caucus
will be confirmed. Gen. Pettus will en-
ter upon his term of Office on the 4th day
of March next on which date his prede-
cessor, Senator Pugh, will. full of honors
and bearing with him the love of his
people, retire from public service