The age-herald., 1900-08-07
BY LUCIEN JULIEN WALKER


 Eight years ago this morning the De- mocracy of Alabama was triumphant and was triumphantly acclaiming the peerless fighting leader, General Charles M. Shel- ley. chairman of the campaign committee. In the hour of greatest danger the party had encountered since 1874, the leaders, the rank and the file looked to Shelley. He accomplished more perhaps than any other man in Alabama could have accomplished, and the people loved him and applauded him even more than before.
 This day the Democratic party applauds a young man eminently worthy to follow in the footsteps of the gifted and beloved Shelley. Campaign Chairman John V. Smith hasn't had to lead such desperate fight as Shelley led. but he has accom- plished wonders in party organization, and was at all times prepared to overcome op- position as stout and formidable as that which Shelley overcame. He was encoun- tered a more insidious foe than a fight ing, shouting enemy: he has met and suc- cessfully dealt with apathy. the most de- structive of all elements in political parties. Chairman Smith has succeeded in arousing an interest in the campais1 that was lar STtdttT ttidh thS iiOSt astic of the party advisers looked for; and the result is victory in places where de- feat was feared.
 MT. Smiths greatest personal trouble has come from an extraordinary popular de- mand for the personal presence ana in struction of Colonel Sanford and Senator Morgan. There are two thousand pre- cincts in the State, and all of them wish ed for visits from the guberna torial Hom- inee and the senior Senator. Owing to Senator Morgan's advanced age, and to the hard work required of him in great affairs in Washington, combined with the heat of summer, Mr. Smith did not re- quest the Senator to enter the State cam- paign, and was averse to the proposition from other sources that he should come to the State and deliver a series of public political speeches. But Senator Morgan insisted that engagements be made for him, and therefore they were made, and he delivered several speeches. But all of his appointments it was impossible for the Senator to keep. Yet he was wanted everywhere, and at every place where he was unable to appear there was disap- pointment. It would have required about two thousand speeches within sixty days from man seventy-five years old to have fully satisfied the Alabama public.
 As for Colonel Sanford, all the appoint ments for him were made which it was possible for him to fill and a few which he couldn't fill in person.
 MT. Smith organized the party thor oughly, giving special attention to doubtful counties, and he overcame apathy, indif- ference, political carelessness and slovenli- ness. He managed the campaign with con- summate wisdom
 At forty John V. Smith is one of the ablest, most far-seeing, most trusted and most promising of all gifted Alabamians. His sound common sense is of extraordin- ary degree and force. Added to this is rare culture that has been derived from a life time of hard work and most painstaking study His mind is by nature remarkably bright and he has polished it by his own efforts to remarkable brilliancy. His integ rity, his sense of honor, his uprightness, his generosity, his conception of justice and propriety are all of great strength and wisdom and would distinguish him amongst