The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-25
THE spEAKBRsHIp.

On yesterday The Birmingham Age-- Herald came out in e declaration in favor of Mir. Alfred M. Tanstalf of Hale for Speaker of the House The article Is reproduced in fuii on this page.
 The Advertiser has not desired te enter into an active campaign on this question of the speakership. and does not expect to do so now. But The Age-Heraid's sweep ing declarations make 1t necessary for this paper to make its convictions known as a matter of duty and of concern for the public welfare.
 The Age-Herald's declaration may be resolved into two leading assertions. The first is that MT. Tunstall is easily the best fitted man for the Speakership, that no one else in the House is so well equip ped, and the second is that he is sure winner The Age-Herald seems to be hunting the current, and to be advising all the members of the House to follow suit
 The Advertiser does not at all agree with either of these assertions. It IS really absurd to. declare that no other member of the House Is so well equip ped for the Speakership as Mir. Tunstall. and the effort by his newspaper advo- cate to produce the impression that he IS sure winner is itself proof of the doubt on the part of MT. Tunstall and his closest friends that he has walk-over This House is generally admitted to ..- --o.. ..,oa~ n,o, than h a va come | to the Assembly before in years. The | sober thought of the people brought this about because of the importance or the | Legislature at this juncture. It is idle | to say that MT. Tunstall is the ablest. the clearest headed. the quickest, the most experienced, the most expeditions. man in it. The Advertiser will not make igno- minious distinctions. for every well-in- l formed man will instantly call to mind l the names of other members who are Mfr. Tunstalrs equals in any respect his | superiors in some respects, who are. bet | ter rounded and more symmetrical in es- sentiaI respects. He has his good points, | but there are others.
  Tunstali for the position of Speaker. The | first is that he is conspicuous parti: san of the railroad and other corpora ton interest. The Advertiser is not an enemy of railroads or cor poratlons. by any means; 1t has frequent the past. and expects to do SO in the future when justice and expediency dic- l tate. Neither does The Advertiser be- | ieve that all railroad attorneys are sub servient to their principals. There have been conspicuous exceptions. some of l them in the last Constitutional Conven- I ton. But at this particular time The 1 Advertiser does not believe that any con- | spicuous railroad attorney should be put | into the powerful position of Speaker. | There has been an industrious organized I attempt in the State to fan into fire the embers of opposition to railroads The election to the Speakership of so conspicu- | ous friend as Mir. Tunstall would cer- tainly tend to strengthen that opposi- | tion. for it would be construed as an evidence of the alleged grip of the roads 1 upon the government of the State. This | is particularly true as to Mir. Tunstall. for In his past legislative service he has | never given any notable evidence of his | independence of corporate influence. The second objection to MT. Tunstall is that his temperament Is such as would make him a second Czar Reed in the Speakers chair. He has an intense temperament. and goes at every under | taking with the strongest determination to carry his point This makes him a | narrow man. who would use power to its limit With him as Speaker. no bill | would ever get to the House, which he ! strongly opposed. He would dominate
 the Committees with his personality. and would rule the House with a rod of iron
 He would be very nearly the whole
 thing"
 Then as to the second material asssr-
 ton of The Ags-Herald, that Mr. Tun-
 stall is a sure winner. The Advertiser
 is reliably informed that large number
 of members have declined to commit
 themselvez to him or any one else. while
 considerable contingent ts actively op-
 posed to him. The issue is not by any
 means settled. Mir. Wood of Macon. 6
 man of no ordinary ability and of fine
 character. is an active candidate and 1:
 very confident. There may be others. Il
 is this attitude of non-commlttal on the
 mart of so many members that Is SC
 critical. And evidently 1t must be very
 annoying to Mir. Tunstan and his friends
 when his newspaper advocate tries tC
 pour A crystauzing element into the poll.
 tical crucible.
 As this paper said some months ago. II
 is to be hoped that the members of tn,
 House will not suffer themselves to bt
 tied on a string by any candidate; that
 they will with a deep sense of duty sesl
 out the best ntted man for Speakers
 man that is able. sound, safe. judicia
 minded, tolerant, courteous, symmetrical
 Such a Speaker would be of incalculablc
 benefit to all Alabama. and of tremend. | ous influence in preventing political
 thunder clouds from materiallzing into
 dangerous storms
 l Trz Ape vr, VI A ArHn nE FrTn nrcr