The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03

member can get the floor until he has served sufficiently long to obtain a place on. some of the principal, committees Many speeches are printed in the Re- cord. under leave to print, which are nev- CT delivered in the House. The real work is done before the committees. It is right that the people should understand these facts while listening to the bombastic speeches, self-laudations, and promises of what will be performed by our young and aspiring friends. MT. Smiths service in the State Senate scarcely entities him to a seat in Congress. Elected upon the issue of an elective Railroad Commits slon. and as favoring the repeal of the County Court of Clay, his chief service was the repeal of such court. but. he lett his county without the Judge of Probate having the Jurisdiction to try misdemeanor cases, as is possessed by practically every Probate Judge In the State; consequently, prisoners charged with petty offenses have to be confined in jail for months and fed at the eX- pense of the State until they can be tried in the Circuit Court, and are thus de- nied the constitutional right of a speedy trial and are doubly punished. As to Mr. Smiths Senatorial career, I respect fully refer you to the people of Clay and Coosa, who are in his District.
 MT. Smith Is. indeed, an aspiring young man, who possesses an exalted opinion of his own capacity. Some five years ago, just after he had obtained law license, he became a candidate for the appoint ment of Reporter of the Supreme Court, position requiring a high order of legal ability. His candidacy was turned down by the Supreme Court, and MT. Phares Coleman was unanimously elected by that TnlITt fha incident jllucfra aS MT. Smiths desire for office. and his modest estimate of himself. And there are those who assert that Mir. Smith is ID better qualified to go to Congress than he was to report the decisions of our Supreme Court. As to this, however, it Is not for me. but for you, to say.
 Rev. MT. Catts.
 In his advertisement, published in last Sundays Advertiser, Rev. Sidney J. Catts, whc is a candidate, gives a number Of 'spealfng and preaching appointments in advocacy of his cause. Through the same medium he informs us that he was once a lawyer, or rather that he once had a license to practice law, but became a minister, that he Is also a very fine bus iness man, that he differed from most preachers in the power of attending to any and every kind of legitimate busi- ness that may come up,' and that The had been of great value to many of his friends as well as himself in knowing how to cut the Gordan knots of business in brief limits of time.' He modestly compares himself to two of Alabama's Rreatest and most lamented sons, J. l.. M Curry and Wm. J. Sanford, each of whom were practicing lawyers while in politics, and appeals to all Christians to support him because he is a minister. He further states that his reason for wanting to go to Congress Is that there, may be some religion there. It is funda- mental that In our Government the church and State shall be forever di- vorced. and since we are all. I trust. Christiahs an appeal for support for d political office by a candidate based prin- cipafiy upon the fact that he Is minis ter, is most unseemly. and tends to de stroy the respect people have and should have for that sacred office.
 yield to no man in my respect for the ministry and for the men who devote their lives, their energies, talents and all the zeal of their hearts to the ser vice of God and the salvation of souls; and for my part I am truly proud that the great majority of them are not shrewd in business and have not acquired great wealth for themselves and their friends" by cutting 'the Gordian knots of bus ilieSS III DIltl Ol lhe MT. Catts. and that they do not seek to lay up treasures upon this earth, but seek rather to lay up treasures in Heaven" in obedience to the commands of the Mas ter.
 No one denies the right of a minister to become a candidate for office, but r.any doubt the propriety Of dragging go sacred calling into the mire of a po- lltical contest, and surely no man can command an appeal for political sup port upon he ground of being a minister, and call upon all churches for their sup port for that reason. and a virtual con demnntion as sinners of all who fail to respond Upon Mir Cattss own authority. | he was a lawyer and became a minis tc", has mingled with his ministry bus iross ability which has proven of "grelt value" to himself anl his friends" and has now become a politician. a most re- combination of c1llirgs which | have rarely mixed, and doubtless he will prove equal to my friend, Hein. as aturp entertainer. And in one respect he | Is pre-eminent. since never before has a mlrister advertised preaching and pollt- | ical appointments for stump speeches in | his own behalf in political address. Tn | other ways, Mir, Catts Is remarkable, 1 lawyer, shrewd business man. money 1 r;s ker, minister. he has now by a dou- ble- back -somersault become a political | candidate and win proceed to enliven the | District with "Catts" fvht
 MT. D. H. Riddle.
 Then, too there is my neighbor Hon. | D. H. Riddle Space forbids propeer | comment on his platform Mir. Riddle is also an aspiring young man, and is per haps as shrewd in business as Rev. ~atts. To quote from Dickens, Henry ''is | slv. devilish sly, Sir" He was candi- late for the nomination for State Senator something over year ago, and was de- rcated by our fellow candidate, Hon, Walter s. Smith. and for this reason, if 'o~ no other. he can scarcely be pre- sumed to be a dangerous competitor in his race.
 beg to say that l have only tho hasAI