The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-24
ALABAMA SENATOR'S.

Senators John T. Morgan and Edmund " Pettus of Alabama are two of the oldest men in the United States senate. The first named is a native of Tennessee, seventy-ninth year. He Is now serving his sixth consecutive term in the Senate.
 Senator Pettus Is native of Alabama and was born in 1921. He Is serving his first term in thu senate which expires tue fourth of next March. He is can didate for reelection. without opposition. Nearly all the democratic nominees for the legislature in Alabama have either been instructed to vote for him or have declared openly their intention to do 50. The legislature, which will convene this winter, it may be taken as a foregone conclusion, will re-elect Senator Pettus to succeed himself, and after this legis- lature has adjourned no other, under the provisions of the new constitution, will convene fer four years.
 Hereon hangs some interesting specula- tion as to who may be senators from Alabama should either or both of the present senators pass away before the expiration of the terms The governor under the new constitution holds for four years, and under the conditions there is a probability that Governor Jelks may appoint successors to both Senators Nor gan and Pettus, both of whom have pass ed the allotted three score years and ten. This fact was not without force and effect in the recent fight between nomination in Alabama.
 The three names most prominently mem tioned in connection with the senator ship in the event of vacancy by the death of Morgan or Pettus, are John B. Knox of Anniston. Richard H Clarke of Mobile, and John H. Bankhead of Fay ette court house. All of these men were active supporters of Governor Jelks in his recent fight for the democratic nom- ination for governor. The first two were on his campaign committee and were re- garded as his spokesmen, doing much of the heavy campaign speaking in the state.
 Mir. Knox is by some years the young est man of the three. He is only a few toA pdbt 1VB Dub iio lOIlS DttH dIl acknowledged force in Alabama politics He Is regarded as one among the ablest lawyers Alabama has ever produced, but he has never sought nor held any public position except the chairmanship of the democratic executive committed a posi- tion he filled several years ago. He also presided over the convention that framed the new constitution.
 Mir Clarke is over 50 years of age and tlrA xxff ft. in the state. He served several terms in congress from the Mobile district, from which office he voluntarily retired in 1896 to lead the Cleveland democracy against Joseph F. Johnston. the free-silvered candidate for the democratic nomination for governor. Clarke was defeated in this fight, and in the presidential election of that year he actively supported Palmer and Buckner.
 man from the Sixth district He has been in congress continuously since 1SS6 but before that time he had been little known in Alabama politics. He Is a man of force and a shrewd politician, with a strong following in certain sections of the state. He was prominently mentioned for the minority leadership in congress when Bailey of Texas was chosen for that place in the Fifty-sixth congress.
 I Ht DtSl HlOTIHtQ oPiillUU III AldDdnla seems to be that Governor Jelks would appoint Mir. Knox to the first vacancy in the senate from AlabaFa, as it was the constitutional issue that contributed largely to make Jelks a possibility for the democratic nomination for governor this year. and the new constitution of Alabama is to asgreat extent the fruit of MT. Knox's influence and work.
 The chances as between Clarke and Bankhead, seemingly would favor Clarke. Bankhead Is from the same section of the state as Knox, while Clarke Is from the extreme southern portion. The sectional consideration commonly has weight, but the two present senators from Alabama, Morgan and Pettus, both reside in the city of Selma
 Alabama. at this tiHe, Is as ably rep resented in the feS&H. senate as any state in the union. Perhaps 1t has the ablest representation from the south, and should either Knox, Clarke or Bankhead. or any two of the three, be appointed to fill the expected vacancies the state would have worthy successors to her present distinguished senators.