The age-herald., 1899-05-13
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

of this truly extraordinary extra session;
 that is, if the majority have any regard for the will of the people It would seem,
 however, that the legislators feel towards the voters who put them in office some what like certain MT. Vanderbilt once expressed himself regarding the dear pub lic-'the public be d-dF" So spoke in the lobby politician who is a close observer of the rise and fall of the public temper Continuing he observed:
 "The voters have never before been Jon such big disgust since began to observe
 them more than twenty-five years ago. You could scarcely say that it is anger that moves them at the moment: the feel ing is more nearly akin to nausea. Events at Montgomery have sickened them. Their wrath will be felt next year. By the time the legislature has betaken itself to cotton hoeing and other honest occupations, Gov ernor Johnston will have caused the ex- penditure of $25.OOO or s5O,OOO of the tax payers money in order that the pledges and the law of the democratic party might be violated, and the will of majority of the white people rendered abortive. Is 1t any wonder that the voters are disgusted? The legislature ought in common decency to adjourn. It has sacrificed the esteem of the voters; and is powerless to do any thing except draw pay from the treasury. Ass
 During political discussion by group in the lobby yesterday, reference was made to what was considered a well-founded re- port to the effect that Representative G. R. Burkhalter had determined to offer himself to the voters of Jefferson county as candidate for state senator, in succession to President Cunningham and in the in terest of Governor Johnston for the United States senate. In other words, that Mr. Burkhalter will make the fight avowedly for Johnston. Time alone can demonstrate whether this report be true.
 Other gossip of interest about the gover- nor and Jefferson is on the line that he Is succeeding in building up quite a strong machine by the operation of the recently enacted road law for the county. This law provides for the appointment of county superintendent of roads at $1,50O a year, and eight assistants or district supcrinten- dents at $5O In addition one man in each beat to look after the roads and one magis- trate in each beat to collect the road tax are provided for. It is said that eighty men have been already appointed to these places Quite naturally these men will be for Johnston. Thus he Is assured of two active supporters in each beat and nine for the county at large, all through the work ing of the new road law. Thus are laid some of the pipes for the Herculean task of carrying Jefferson county for Johnston in the year of grace 1900. The which is much as to say, that is the way political gossip runs.
 'The story from the Blackbelt that the negroes have-cUme to regard our present governor as their political messiah found apt and graphic illustration in Third ave- nue yesterday said Major M. "For the first time in my life saw and heard a negro woman preacher; and she was preaching Governor Johnston and him
 glorifed, rather than the cause of religion pure and undefled. The woman presented a novel spectacle. l guessed her weight to be 300 pounds, for she was exceedingly big and fat. She was likewise very black and greasy-looking. She stood on two chairs near the curbstone One foot rested inse- curely enough on one chair; her other foot
 was on the seat of the second chair. There she stood, mountainous in her ebony fat ness, shrieking a few words of warning against sin and many words of praise for de gubner what was gwinter see jestce done de cullud folks She had a score or two of listeners who remained silent whilo she raved and shrieked and stormed. I listened to her for several minutes, and then continued my walk. The last words I could hear from her were in praise of Governor Johnston. Yet she started out to preach the gospel"
 
 q foresee," said one of the oldest citi- zens of Birmingham, that Alabama will
 probably enter soon upon a period of po- litcal turbulence, degradation and disgrace
 similar to the disgraceful conditions pre- vailing in South Carolina, North Carolina and Kansas To avert this will require the wisest and most earnest efforts of those men who have led the people for twenty or thirty years, and all those who are
 worthy to lead now. The effort to Till-
 manize Alabama has begun already, and unless there be vigilance, wisdom and work we shall see Morgan ana PettuS forced to give place to such men as Tfll- man, Earle, Marion Butler and Peffer. And | we may see Alabama sink to the condition | of North Carolina during the past few | years, when the negroes dominated their l white allies and the state itself. Wade Hampton and General Mathew c. Butler and Feb Vance and Matt Ransom were | sacrificed to unhoiy passions and corrupt | combinations Let the democrats of Ala bama see that Morgan and Pettus and their | like don't go the same way. There is dan-. l ger, and serious danger"
 l The work of converting the pavilion on | top of Red mountain, at the head of Twen- | tieth street, into dwelling house is nearly | completed, and Sterling A. Wood, the l owner, expects to move into it with his