The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-08

house committee has been very quietly at work on it, and has reported the bill putting into it at least two revolutionary features-the numbered ballot and en- blems on the tickets of the different parties.
 Governor Jelks' Influence.
 To what extent Governor Jelks is fn- fiuencing the course of legislation is per haps rather a matter of interest for the curious than Of real moment. So far as appears on the surface he is not attempt ing to direct or control the fate of any measure yet appearing on the calendar Of either house. Only once has his name been invoked as a sanction for bill, and that was in behalf of the capitol improve ment appropriation. He has n constant stream of callers, senators and members, and he advises with them, but there Is no sign of a bill which can be called an aG- minlstration measure ana on which the administration has staked anything The only measure of the sort was the revenue bill prepared in advance by the gover- nor, auditor and attorney general, as di- rected by the constitution and that was flung into the legislative vortex and there left to shift for itself, stamp tax and all. This Is in striking contrast with the state of affairs during the last administration, when the then executive had up some measure all the time which he was driv- ing through against fierce opposition. On the whole. it may be said that Governor Jolks way is popular with the legisia tors. He attends to his business and they attend 10 theirs, though they are rather at sea sometimes. and they like 1t. While it might be true that the executive influ- ence behind a controverted measure would likely be not great on account of the temperament of the governor, which Is to avoid conflict, 1t is equally and even more true to say that no measure could get through which he wished defeated. The has the situation quite well enough in hand to insure that. and there IS no gain saying that it is an exceedingly valuable kind of strength for a governor to have especially about appropriation time.
 Leaders Are Scarce.
 Of aggressive leadership in either house there is very little. In the senate the nat ura leadership which inheres in the pre- siding officer is lacking Leutenant- Gov ernor Cunningham is a leader, but he voluntarily abdicated his real power and confines his part in the proceedings to putting motions and ruling on points of order. The real power was turned over to President Pro Fem Goldsby, who ap- points all committees and runs the rules committed. and his position is thus anomalous. General Harrison. the most eminent of the senators. was and is in some sort of political disfavor with the majority of the senate. and is In no case to lead MT. IIogue, another strong man. is in the same fix. The situation Is that the leadership of the senate is vested in group rather than in individuals, and of this group 1t is not going far wrong to say that the most modest man in 1t is the strongest so far as the real work is concerned. There is something about the conservative and quiet Mir Dunn of Clarke that is very strong and very safe
 In the house what leadership there is adheres in MT. Tunstall the speaker. who IS running it in a quiet way very much as he wishes. He Is not q command- ing personality as speaker, but he knows more than any of them about the busi- ness, has been here for a good many years, and has the cordial cooperation of men like Benners and Rich. The old members contain among them some very able and sound men like Major Handley great old man, but showing some feeble ness, and Minge and Fletcher, who have been here often but who have nothing to say The strong personalities who can talk and who are aggressive arc mostly new men. and therefore at disadvan- tage. This is true of London ana Starr and Lusk and Wilkinson and Callahan. Benners Is influential. but rather because he has such a pleasant way with him than from natural driving power. Bank head among the younger set is cominp forward as positive quantity. Goodvvn las been handicapped to date by having the capitol improvement blli on his hands, and therefore under the necessity of an tsgonizing nobody. Foster of Tuscaloosa is ere of the ablest men in the house. ut he really seems not to care whether other reople find 1t out or not.