The age-herald., 1898-03-25
POLITICS IN THE
 TENNESSEE VALLEY

Lne Whoie valley ID Hooueo WVth pOfltic3anz1 | So great is the flood tl1at the broad valleys
 are not sufficient to flow the stream-even ths mountain tops are covered.
 This is no unusual case with the valley people, however. They have 1t every year | and have furnished the state officers for the northern portion of the state since its l birth. There is but one office In the state that some resident of the valley is not aspiring to-the gubernator1al chair They
 have all agreed, both on account of their | admiration for the man and because of his | faithful discharge of his duties and ''busi- | ness management of the statee affairs, to | honor Gov. Joseph F. Johnston with a re- | nomination. No man is stronger in the val | ley than he-not even MT Justice McClel- Ian, for whom the solid vote of the coun- ties along the banks of the Tennessee will | be cast for chief justice of the supreme | court of Alabama
 | Speaking of Justice Mcclellan, his ele- | vation to the chief justiceship of the Ala | bama supreme court will be the third son the little city of Athens has had thus hon. ored. Athens is the birthplace of the pres | ent Chief Justice Brickell and of Chief
 
 prominent sons is Senator Edmund w. Pet tus, the junior senator from this state. | But to undertake to list all of her sons who have won fame and honor is an endless
 task.
 The valley will furnish her prorata of the | officers for the next term. There will be l two holdovers Capt. Walker s. White of | Colbert as auditor and w. J. Wood of | Lauderdale, state tax commissioner. Capt. R. T. Simpson of Lauderdale Is an aspfr- | ant for associate justice of the supreme court and blue-eyed Bob McDavfd, the next | secretary of state, halls from Lauderdale. l J. Kirkman Jackson, under certain condi- | tions, will be candidate for clerk of the | supreme court-the best ealaried office in 1 the state But whether he shall be able to grease" Sterling A. Woods plank" is de- l cldedly doubtful and, indirectly, the most l interesting question in Alabama politics | today. MT Jackson is a supporter of Judge | Thomas Wilkes Coleman for chief justice. The Age-Herald's fight for a better public school system in the state is bearing good | fruit fin the valley She is offering three of
  | is to begin the reforms so greatly needed,
 after the next legislature shall have pro- vfded for a constitutional convention and it's provisions for the betterment of our | common schools. These candidates for superintendent of education are James E. | Alexander of Colbert, latte president of the West Alabama Agricultural school at Ham, | ilton Henry T. Lyle of Morgan, principal l of a preparatory school for boys at Trinity, l and good educator; and J. C. Ott of Lau- | derdale who has wortllily represented his | county ,dn the state legislature
 
 The judicial fights are very interesting. | For chancellor of the northwestern divi- | sion present Chancellor w. H. Simpson, of | Morgan, and Paul Hodges, of Lauderdale, are the candidates. For judge of the | Eleventh circuit, Messrs. A. H. Carmichael | and D. B. Alman, of Colbert, are candi- | dates The latter's success was assured | last Saturday when the delegates from l Franklin, Marion and Colbert were in- structed to cast their votes in the conven- | tion for him. Judge II. c. Speake, of Mad
 ison, will have no opposition in the Eighth l circuit.
 There will be excellent timber from which | the legislature may select state solicitors in these circuits. In the Eleventh, Wm. H. l Sawtelle and Isaac Orme, of Colbert and | w. C. Davis, of Marion, are candidates 1 MT. Sawtelle is at present solicitor of the | Eighth but is a resident in the Eleventh, | this circuit having been formed by the last l legislature after MT. Sawtelle's election and l he was granted permission to retain his residence in the circuit. There is possibly | no young man in the valley better suited l for the position than Will Sawtelle MT. | Orme was a candidate for the legislature,
 but was defeated by William Brown. MT. | Davis represented his county in the last | house and will also be member of the l next. He is member of the state com- I mttee. The race in the Eighth is be- | tween R. H. Lowe, of Madison: l.. P. | Troupe, and Silas P Rather of Morgan,
 able lawyers and all young men.
 l The next legislature will be full of ''Will- | fam Jennings Bryans'' from the upper l counties. This section always sends good | strong men to represent her, and this year l they will all go with instructions from the | people to vote for a new constitution and | better public schools Two candidates are
 already at ease, Wilson Brown, of Col
 bert and w. c. Davis, of Marion, hav
 ing been nominated by the primaries last | Saturday. They are legislators of experi- l ence, having each served two terms in the | house. Erie Pettus. of Elkmont. was also | nominated in Limestone. over W. H. Mc- | Cfellan. Pettus is barely twenty-one years | of age, but is an exceptionally bright young
 man and will be one of the best orators In | the next house. He graduated with high | honors from the University of Alabama in | the class of '97 and on the same day of his
 nomination he received from President | Powers the appointment as eommandant of
 the corps of cadets. Very distinguished
 honors for one young. An unusual CO.,
 incidence, never in the history of Limestone | county has she allowed a representative in
 the legislature to serve but one term.
 The list of aspirants for leg slative honors
 in the other valley counties is large: Nor l gan O. Hyle, s. P. Rather, Simpson, Win