The age-herald., 1901-03-12
EFFECT OF FRANK PETTUS'
 DEATH ON STATE POLITICS

safe in saying that If he desires to remain in the Senate he will have no opposition, but a good many people believe it Is doubtful whether he will care to remain in public life after the end of his present term
 ''Tf ho is not a candidate, there will be very interesting contest for the place. It is easy to name at least half dozen men prominent in Alabama politics who would be important factors in such a contest, and one with more intimate knowledge of Alabama affairs than I pos sess might find no trouble in running the list up to a dozen. or even more.
 "There is General Oates. for instance ex-Congressman, ex-Governor. a veteran of two wars. avowed candidate for the Senate in the last contest. but who 1t will be recalled, withdrew and threw his strength to Senator Morgan.
 There is Representative Bankhead. dean of the present Alabama delegation, who has had long experience in Congress, has wide acquaintance throughout Ala bama. has many warm friends and sup porters outside of his own district as well in it. and who makes no secret of a desire to represent his State at the other end of the capitol.
 '"There is Colonel John Knox, the An niston lawyer. who has been such prom inent factor in party management for a number of years and who is unquestion- ably one of the ablest men in the State.
 There is "Blue-eyed Dick" Clarke of Mobile, who was for a number of years a representative in Congress, and who was in the forefront of the fight against Governor Johnston in that little matter of the constitutional convention which made over Alabama politics on new lines. The man who had been defeated by John ston for Governor came to the front again in that bitter contest
 '"There is "Red-headed Joe" Johnston himself who must be reckoned with, al- though at present he seems to have been completely eclipsed by the shadow of his defeat by Senator Morgan. He is how ever, man always to be watched and stranger things have happened in poli- tics than that he should eventually wind up his career as a member of the United States Senate.
 There is Representative Henry Clay ton, member of the national committee for Alabama, the most popular man in the Alabama delegation in Congress- an able fellow and very excellent politician, a man who would grace any office and who would undoubtedly have a strong following if an active candidate.
 And then again Representative Under- wood, of the Birmingham district, who Is one of the most active men on the minority side of the House, a man who has been spoken of as a possible minority leader a man who has his district at his back and who has a strong following among the young men all over the State.
 And last in this list of mine, though by no means the least, Little Joe Wheeler, the hero of too many wars to attempt to count, a man with all kinds of legislative experience, one possessing in a high de- gree that mysterious powsr over men which we call, for lack of a better name, "personal magnetism" and which what eyer 1t Is, has a way of breaking the slates of politicians and the hearts of political opponents, especially when it happens that the contest is before the people. "I haven't attempted to name all the possibilities because I don't pretend to know them all. There is a lot of politics in Alabama, and the list of men who are past masters at the game Is by no means a short one. Even with these I have mentioned, however, it is easy to picture a scramble at the old capitol at Montgomery, such as would recall some of those other lively and bitter contests which have gone to the making up of Alabama's political history.