The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-23
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

ers In the Hobbies, in the streets, every
body talked, and no word of excuse for the
governors extraordinary treatment Of Mr..
Tomlinson was heard anywhere. Even vis-
itors at the hotels, who did not person.
ally know Mr.. Tomlinson, were seathing In
their criticism of the governors conduct
towards old personal friend and polit-
zeal supporter. One Birmingham man was
seen who was opposed to the appointment
of Mr.. Tomlinson, and he, too, expressed
his emphatic disapproval of the governors
action in suffering Mr.. Tomlinson to-place
himself in a position to be publicly EN-
barrassed. The indignation of the public
of all shades of opinion was emphatically
expressed. No voice in Birmingham or
Jefferson county was raised in copdona-
ton of Governor Johnstons apparently
cold blooded indifference to Mr. Tomlia-
sons sense OF self-respect and personal
pride.
A hint from the governor to this one of
his friends month ago would have saved
a world of bitter feeling and perhaps years
of political and Journalistic strife 1t would
have saved the governors friend from the
expenditure of much money, and the draw
ing of drafts upon that friends fund of
friendship throughout Alabama. 1t would,
moreover, have saved the governors
friend from a realization of the sense of
his first failure in an honorable and sue
cessful life It is idle to urge that the gov
ernor could not have dropped that hint 10
his friend. The governor had no intention
from the outset to appoint Mr.. Tomhn-
son, his friend and neghbor. That is now
perfectly apparent. And when he received
in the executive chamber two weeks ago
a delegation of a hundred of Mr.. Tomlin-
sons friends from Birmingham and else
where, and listened in apparent serious
ness to those men who addressed him in
Mr.. Tomlinsons behalf, and when on that
occasion he talked about being stabbed in
the heart" or words to that effect, Gov
ernor Johnston was aware that he was
making fools of Mr. Tomlinson and Mr..
Tomlinsons friends. If that Is not unfeel-
ing ingratitude, what is it?
1t is clear that the governor is out for
the senate to succeed Senator Morgan in
March, 1901. The election will take place
in November next year, and the governor
is preparing for the fray. Senator Morgan
will have some voice in the matter. The
senator was in Birmingham not long ago,
and he declared to a friend that he was
never in stronger health, and that he felt
younger than he had in many years. His
appearance bore out the senator's state
ment An Albanian who saw the sena-
tor in Washington last week declared in
the lobby last night:
Senator Morgan grows younger. For
these ten years he has not looked so young
as now, and has not been so strong. He
is renewing his strength. And today, as
the acknowledged leader of the senate, as
a man of worldwide fame, and as the
most illustricus of all Alabamians, he re-
ceives in the fullest measure the love and
admiration of the people of Alabama He
will be candidate to succeed himself, and
Governor Johnston's scheming for a sena-
torial seat is worse than idle. 1t Is posi-
lively mischievous.
Thus ran the tide of talk yesterday.
There was not discovered in this town any
apologist for the governor He may have
followers ready to defend his recent action,
but they were not talking yesterday. The
people are disappointed, shocked, panied!
There can be no doubt as to this truth. It
is too plain, too assertively evident. The
condemnation of the governors action In
this miserable railroad commissionership
business and in other matters is the most
emphatic voice heard in Jefferson in re-
cent years.
THE scarcity CT coal in the Birmingham
district is becoming an exceedingly serious
matter" declared manufacturer yester-
day. IF the bad weather continues two
weeks longer 1 believe that almost half
the industries in the district will have to
shut down for want of coal. 1t would
seem extraordinary that Birmingham
should be short of coal; but it is, and the
same Is true of Pittsburg. Locally this
scarcity has become to be a matter of ut
most seriousness"
1t is not generally known that Mr-Roy
Knight, OF Admission. the remarkably pop
ular and successful railroad man, was
once printer He used to set type on the
old Chicago Times; on paper in Column
bus, O.. and other papers in the west. He
came to Alabama in 1870 to engage in the
railroad business, and everybody knows
how he has prospered.
Mr.. W. 7. Northington, who is at the
Morris, met Mr.. Searles and party In New
Orleans. Mr. Searles remarked that he
would spend Thursday in Birmingham, and
was invited by Mr.. Northington to dine
with him at the Morris. He accepted with
the promise that it would not interfere
with their trip through the district. Mr..
Searles and his party were entertained on
Tuesday by Mr.. Saunders. proprietor of
the famous Wesson (Miss) cotton mills.
Mr.. Hutchins and MIR. T. w. Pratt, of
Huntsville. both of whom represent the
round cotton bale corporation, in which Mr..
Searles is interested. will probably be with
the party tomorrow. Mr.. Edmonds, who
is in the party. is interested in the devel-
opment at Gate City, mention of which has
been made in The Age-Herald heretofore.
Mr.. Edmonds remarked to a friend In New
Orleans that all the arrangements for max