The age-herald., 1899-01-27
A BRIGHT DAY
 AT MONTGOMERY

T OcAAiS-cN'@N
 county friends of Hon. John W. Tomlinson,
 all of whom favor his appointment as a
 member of the state railroad commission
 escorted Mir Tomlinson to Montgomery | The party was joined at Birmingham and
 Montgomery by forty or fifty influential
 friends of MT. Tomlinson from other parts
 of the state forming perhaps the strongest l delegation that ever called upon the govern | or of this state for any purpose whatever | The Jefferson members of the party were
 representative of every interest of the 1 country Indeed a more thoroughly rep | resentative company could not be brought | together for any purpose. It was distinctly
 creditable to the wide popularity of MT. | Tomlinson.
 | The journey to Montgomery was ex- | tremely pleasant The delegation was scat | tered throughout the train but most of it's
 members occupied an extra car, which it | was found necessary to attach to the fast ] Louisville and Nashville train leaving the
 city at S:42. Everybody was jolly, and the | best of good humor prevailed throughout
 the journey. It was arranged that MT.
 
 club, of Jefferson county, should head the procession of the delegation in its walk to
 the capitol. As it left the magnificent I union passenger station the procession in-
 cluded upwards of hundred men, and on | it's way up Commerce street, through court | square, and up Dexter avenue it created I something of a sensation. MT. Tomlinson
 was not, as matter of course, present at | any time during the proceedings On | irving at the capitol the delegation pro- | ceeded to the executive chamber, into which | it filed, being received cordially by the Hon. 1 Chappell Cory, private secretary to the l governor, who personally knew nearly every | one present. After everybody had entered | the big room, the governor came out of
 his private office and made the circuit of 1 the apartment, shaking hands with and l saying word of friendly greeting to every one.
 l The governor invited the delegation into | his private office and all present entered, greatly crowding that inadequate apart
 ment. Chairs were provided for the more | elderly members, and the others stood. 1 The governor occupied the official chair of state Quiet being restored, Mr. Pugh ad- 1 dressed the governor, and informed him. l in few words, of the mission of that rep | resentative, delegation from the county of | Jefferson, and its members from other sec | tions of the state. He then proceeded to | impress upon the governor the merits of | MT. Tomlinson, which entitled that gentle man to appointment on the railroad com | mission; that he was emnently fitted for | the office, because he had been successful | in his own business affairs, successful in 1 the law; that he a thoroughly good | party man; an acknowledged exponent of | those political principles to which the gov ernor himself was devotedly attached. Jef- | ferson county was practically unanimous | for MT. Tomlinson, and the desires of Jeff ferson were shared by very large num- | Der of the most influential democrats of
 Alabama. MT. Tomnson's endorsements
 were probably unprecedented in the his- | tory of those desiring appointment to pub | lie office in Alabama.
 | MT. Pugh's admirable speech was fol- | lowed by brief but exceedingly forcible | speeches from E. H. Cab;ness, Nathan l.. | Miller B. Steiner, James L. Tanner, Sem ! ator Cunningham, Representative David | son, J. H. Montgomery, Colonel John J. Alt | man and s. M. Weaver.
 | Governor Johnston listened to all this we'll | deserved praise of his friend with his usual
 genial imperturbility, and when the last words from the delegation had been spoken | he arose and said some kind words of well come to his friends and neighbors from Jefferson county. Proceeding, he said in 1 effect that his first duty and purpose was | to consider the interest of all the people | of the state, and to have careful regard as | to the fitness of men to be appointed. There were a great number of applicants for the l two positions the railroad comm ssion, which must be shortly filled, and his duty | in the matter was onerous.. Finally it | would come to the point where he would be | brought to consider a very small number say possibly eight. Having arrived at | that number, he would experience addi- ] tional bangs of regret. The elimination of each friend from the list would be a fresh stab at his heart for he was devoted to | all his friends. Ultimately, however, he would have to decide upon the men to fill l the positions, and to the best of his judg | ment that decision should be for the best interests of he people.
 1 It was essential at the present stage and | on such an occasion that the governors re-
 marks should be entirely non-committal as | to any one individual, and his brief talk was in keeping with that spirit of necessity | The governor, however, was visibly im- | pressed with the strength and character | of the delegation which, paid its respects
 to him in the interest of MT. Tomlinson. It
 was probably the strongest delegation of its nature which ever was received in audience | in the historic executive chamber of Ala | bamas capitol.
 l The capital of the state is seldom so full | of life as it was yesterday. The visit of the | Jefferson delegation alone sufficient to
 make an impression. The legislative Ses-
 sion has entered upon its most interesting | stage; and in addition, the state democratic | executive committee in session. These | three causes drew hundreds of visitors to l ,,I oil l,xyt ba Ala1