The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-07
WHY LONDON WILL
 SUPPORT JOHNSTON
THINKS HE IS THE BEST MAN TO DEVELOP THE POSSIBILITIES OF GROWTH EXISTING UNDER NEW CONSTITUTION.

To the Editor of The Ase-Herald.
 III health compelled me to leave home this summer much against my will and hence I am deprived of the opportunity to express myself in the present cam paign as I intended to do. Since leaving home I learn that astonishment end sur prise are expressed at my support of Gov ernor Johnston and while it Is probably a matter of small consequence to the average voter who I may support, hay ing recently given expression to some views on local affairs, 1t may not be pre- sumptious on me to say why it is I now advocate Johnston's nomination and trust you will permit the use of your columns for that purpose
 I may premise by saying that I have never before supported Governor John ston for anything and still do not approve many of the things he has stood for be- fore, during and since his incumbency of the office of governor.
 I was for the new constitution and am still for it. and tEink it was worth any price we may have paid for 1t, and l desire to see It's provisions carried out fully and honestly. 1 look upon it as opening a new era in Alabama. which. properly utilized, will bring great aud permanent good to the state, and l think the gentlemen who secured it are en- titled to our gratitude, and a large voice in, but not the absolute control of the affairs of the state.
 Viewing the new constitution as offering great possibilities in the future, 1t seems to me the question was and Is, who is the man best calculated to develop these possibilities?
 A careful consideration of this question has led me to conclude that Johnston is the man and on this ground I support him.
 The unfortunate conditions existing un- der the constitution of 1875 not only af- fected the suffrage and ballot and made elections a farce, but they went deeper and destroyed the integrity of the party also. for party primaries no more show ed honest results than elections, and the result was almost everywhere as in Jef- ferson county, where a candidate for county treasurer, and honest, faithful party man, was openly counted out of the nomination and refused the poor privilege of even a recount by the county com mittee though his claims were supported by the affidavits of eminently respected gentlemen, one of whom Is now on Gov ernor Jelks' county committed Of course this Is only an illustration, for there are If reports are true, numberless cases all over the state.
 
 party management of the state affairs. By reason of their unfair representation in the state convention and their unques- toned political ability the black belt politicians have dominated the party and created a machine. which in the IS years l have lived in Alabama, has been de- feated but once. Less than twenty gen tlemen have absolutely controlled the party in the state during all this time. In Jefferson county about five men have controlled the party since l became (, citizen of the county, and have dictated and partitioned the county offices, and have, with few exceptions, reserved and secured these offices for themselves. their friends or hnsmen. These are what I un- derstand Is meant by the machine. The protest against It's continued control in state and county affairs was voiced in the almost universal demand for a pri- mary-too strong for the committee to resist
 Not only are fair elections now involv- ed, but the question is, shall the pri- mary express the will of the voters or that of the gentlemen who have hereto fore controlled the party and who now seek a continuance of power.
 It is an open secret and has been for years, that the railroad commission was the head of the machine in the state and the present public outcry for its election Dy the peOple IS only further protest against machine government. I do not mean to criticize the gentlemen who run the machine, most of them are my personal friends, but l do protest against this form of government and Governor Johnston, so far as my observation ex- tends, is the only man who has held the position of governor who has not been dominated by 1t.
 l do not think Governor Jelks bitterest opponent q don't think he can have ene- mies) could say anything to the dispar- agement of his character or honesty but his dearest friend cannot honestly avow that he will be anything more than the mouth piece of the gentlemen who are supporting him. Taking the Jelks Jeffer- son county committee as a sample we have the unadulterated machine article, and if this Is to be the character of the gentlemen who are put in force the new constitution people will discover that the offceholders' trust has utilized this h. strument to fasten indefinitely the gross wrongs which now exist in the country.
 Voters should bear in mind that no legislature is elected for four years after the next election. and candidates for the legislature should be forced to declare whether they are in favor of the existing machine or in favor of fair salaries for public service, economy In county affairs and most important of all, more and bet ter free public schools. Don't be misled by any outside issues, insist upon these selves. AELX. T. LONDON.
 
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