The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-18
JEFFERSON POLITICS, s Ex-GOv. JOHNSTON
HE MAY BECOME A CANDIDATE
 HIlIsELT.
But It is Not Believed That Hs VIII ButIf He Does He Cauuet Win. F Governor Jslks the 1avorite
 With the Fs0ple.
nY. D. W. McrvEN.

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 a BY. D. W. McTvEH. |.
 Birmingham, Feb. i7NBirminsnAm n 70 busy that the people htye little ums to think of politics. The new anti-Coneu- tuition organ is doing most of the poiiu- cal agitation while the rest of the people and the newspapers are talking bustnees and are doing all in their power for the development and up-building of this most wonderful of all the cities of the 6outh- The thing that is most interesting the politicians just now ,is whether or not Johnston h going to run for Governor again. There is much suessine about it, but those who are closest tc him do not believe that he will run. himsslf. although 1t is the general belief that he wiu have . candidate in the fisld who will rspreesnt the views of that slde and for whom they win sivs their full strength and support to secure the ofI1es, not 10 much ts pro- mote the fortunes Of any one man. but to have thsir principles prevail and to get the patronage Whs that man will bs no one known, and no ons of that eide seems to care, fcf that matter, for. q said he. fore, little do they earS fer tho man. they can just 6et some one to lead them to victory; but thefe are precious few who believe they can win with anybody Or at all There ere many prominent and professediy weIl.infermed politicians who believe that the sx-0evsrnor can make stronger light than. any othsf msn for their fsrcss. ana they say that he VII be fotced to run by his fsilswerD. Tha& tinesncy upon which he can be Induced te become . candidate himself. ProceeA- ing upon the assumption that hs would be . candidate tssk some pains to inauire about his strength, and ascertained from many sources, both friendly an6 unfrfendly, that he is not as strong in this county as he was when he ran for dovcrnor against oatss and Clarke, and when ne was | candidate for Senator against Morgan. 1t must be borne in rdinl that in reckoning upon the political standing of the sx-Governor h this eoura- ty, the number who have paid poll tax must not alone be considered. The general opinion is that 6f those who have dualf. are against the Governor. while on the other hand, hsarA one weli-ifi9srned man. who fs against him. say that hs had . ma a3ority of tho voters now on his eide. That inay bs true of the number who have paid poll tax, but the gentleman last referred to has evidently not taken into the count the large number of. peo- pie who are not subject to poll tax, and who, 1t is said, win turn down the scAles very largely asainst the oovsfnor. 1. From my own observation ! do not z csnSiSats for Governor this year upon hiS own volitisn. but If he is forced to d %. I am sure hs cannot secure the nomination by any method. either by ecnventien of State primary. t = steted but 1t is very doubtful about the State Commattss svsn sertously considlring such proposition. But why sholiA [ primary ss greferred by the Qcyerncrs z foicwsrs' DO they St think Al snsir ssrv bns nn to pull him through by the unfair methodsf Psrhaps they stake thsir hopes all on the latter contingency in many of the counties. but they could not iieve that the Governor and his faction would be defeated In . general State pri- mary, for I ann confident that .. major ity of the people are in favor of the new Ccnstitution and that they would stAnd Der. Tnere is no posdsiiity of such . plan being adopted, however. and no time
 need be lost talking about 1t. Under the old plan of selecting delegates Tn the va rious counties and State Convention ne cordinx to ths opinions of the best if,- formed politicians here. They say that he could not possibly carry Jenerson- County against Governor Jelks and thNy ever been before in any of his races fl, this county, and from the information have gathered on this trip I would fr-' hesitafingly say that is the real situa- ton here. But cannot bring myself to the Governor will be candidate. hence, all calculations of his candidacy are mere speculation. based upon bare pos sibility, as fnttmated above. There is one thing that Is certain about it. they will have a rnix-up in this county that will be worse than the Kolb convention In Barbour If Johnston runs and If they can't do anything better. Jefferson will get up another candidate of their own. That Is not improbable at all If the ex- to beat him, but that may not be at all necessary for Governor Jelks may prove stronger than any other home man..
 There is much curiosity here te know s@iS wnsthsr or .s s a IS are sonf % ss s0 s leaders, General Harrison has many en- thusiastio admirers, all of whom would be glad to see him Governor and yet they do not feel that he ought to run this alton and recognize the fact that Gov ernor Jelks is going to be hard ste beat for nomination and thev say they do not want their faverite to enter heat that has already been won by an earlier en- try. There are other gentlemen favorsbiy mentioned in connection with the Gov ernor's ofYice but the same opinion pre- walls that they had better stay out this year. The sentiment among the business men in this business town is that quiet this year and they will encourage roth-
 ing that will promote discord and stir
 up strife and dissension in the party ranks.
 the political pulse here 1 have come to the deliberate conclusion that Governor Johnston will not become q candidate and that Governor Jeiks cannot be de fested for the nomination. as 1t is the universal opinion that he has made a most capable and painstaking Governor and that there is no reasonable-cause for a change.
 Birmingham is full of people all the time and when one comes here from any the busy hustle and hustle of every day life, he Is dazed and 1t Is hard to realize that he is in Alabama. People are going all day long and late into the the same dollar that a fellow has to get up and get to keep UP at sh and even get his hand first on the dollar so many are after. Walking along the streets l glanced down and saw . bright and shin. ing silver dime. over which hundreds of people had passed without stopping to pick 1t up. expressed surprise thereat when friend at my elbow suggested that these people were so bent on getting the dollars that they did not have time as the real solution of the matter and quietly picked yp the dime and hope 1t will bring me good luck
 There are a large number of retired capitalists all over Alabama who would be revived by spending few days in this great city and who might be induced