The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-16
Ex-Gov. JoHNsToN's UNDER .-s TAKING


 | printed a rumor that former Governor Johnston was likely to enter the fled as a candidate for Governor again. The rrmor followed quickly upon visit of the former Governor to Mobile, where he had a conference with some of the
 remnant of county leaders left him out l of the great number once connected with
 his machine.
 The Advertiser did not attach much im-
 portance to the rumor. for two reasons. | It did not think that the former Gov ernor had so little political acumen as to l enter the field for a third term. and, furthermore. it believed he was fin Mobile 1 to induce some one else to run.
 | These grounds of unbeief have already
 been justified by utterances of MT. John- | ston himself. In Tuesdays Age-Herald | appeared an interview with him, the sub- | stance of which was reproduced in yes-
 terdays Advertiser. In this interview he | declared emphaticaily- that he would not | be a candidate for Governor. He also | expressed the expectation that Colonel | E. l.. Russell of Mobile and General | George P. Harrison of opelika would enter the race.
 | The well informed public will readily suspicion just what Mir. Johnston IS try l ing to do. It will conclude that l he is hunting for some other | people to use in pulling cbestnuts out l of the fire for him. He seems to be l planning to get out several candidates for Governor in different sections of the State, to divide the large anti-Johnston majority into factions and in the general ! scramble at the State Convention to secure the nomination of some close | friend of his-some one who can be de-
 nended upon to put the former Governor into the first Senatorial vacancy that ne expects may occur during the four years term of the next Governor. That IS the l chiof end of MT. Johnston's ambition towards which his political efforts TOT years have aimed. The former Governor is tenacious III
 n,rnose. indefatigable in energy anu abundant in resource for political ih- | +r,eue From things picked up here ana there. we have little doubt that ne has
 been very busy of late writing ietters 'o friends in different parts or the Stale
 directing them to bring pressure on cer-
 tain nrominent Democrats to enter the
 race for Governor. He is probably try ,r- in bring out candidates in North Ala hama, South Alabama. East Aiapaha anu West Alabama Not every one Of those
 he has probably been worNihs "'
 ia necessarily friend or ms
 or inc contrary, the likelihood Is
 that he is bringing his pressure
 fo hear on some leaders of the oppositioh
 "a him He would naturally want to divide the anti-Johnston <pajority into
 oontending factions, so that he might have A chance by trades and comoiha-
 lions at the convention to slip in the man | of his choice.
 For instance, General Harrison is men t,oned in Mir. Johnston's interview as one of two candidates that he expects to | come out. General Harrison was a Pal msr and Buckner Democrat in 's6. and has never belonged to the Johnston machine. But it is in accord with the | Johnstonian method to induce just such
 men as General Harrison to run Ihere
 Is reason to believe that he IS not the | first sound-money Democrat Johnston | has tried to push into the race. very ukelv he would rejoice to see Hon. R' H. Clarke run also, and other souno-
 money Democrats in other parts or the
 State.
 This game of the willy dethroned boss
 to get back into the saddle is not likely
 to succeed. His methods of political
 intrigue are too well understood to be
 worked again. Prominent Democrats In
 var,ous parts of the State, who may be, receiving scores of letters urging them
 to offer for this or that State offce' VIII view with suspicion such sudden spon-
 taneous development of crying neeo
 for their candidacy. They Will in many
 eases trace the inspiration or their friends, and they will find 1t in some
 former appointee of Mr. Johnston or
 some attache of his bursted machine.
 They will not lend themselves to the
 crafty scheme of the Birmingham Sena-
 torlal .aspirant.
 1 As to the two gentlemen mentioned In | the former Governors interview, as likely l to announce-General Harrison and Colo | nel Russell, the prospects are not un- derstood by others to be so bright as | MT. Johnston implies. Colonel Russell | recently declared in an interview in The Mobile Herald that he would not run for Governor. Furthermore he
 is understood to be an aspirant for Senatorial vacancy some of these days | himself, and while he is a friend of the former Governor, it is not likely that he will be diverted into the gubernatorial l field which proved so unfortunate ,n MT. Johnstons own case. Gen eraI Harrison was quoted by The Advertiser yesterday as saying that he did not know to whom MT. Johnston
 was referring in saying that some per- sons thought General Harrison would l run. Further be said he had not seri-
 ouslv considered the matter; that if he
 wanted to announce, he would let the people know at the proper time. It | sounds as if General Harrison did not l appreciate the unauthorized use of his
 name by Mir. Johnston. It certainly looks as if the latter was trying to
 shove both General Harrison and Colonel | Russell off into deep water.
 The Advertiser thinks it only neces- IlnWNn ti