The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-07
MIR. HErLrN,s FUN.

fs some news in 1t. His card in The Montgomery Evening Journal of yester- day Is copied On this page.
 It will be observed that he admits making the utterances at Tuskegee, which The Advertisers stan corre- spondent reported, and which the next day were condemned in these columns. Unfortunately. however. hs does not yet see that he committed any wrong: he makes very little attempt at explana- tion, and expresses no regret. In fact. he boastfully declares that he has no apologies to make for his reflections on the white people of Aiabama--"we have way of Influencing negroes down here" etc.
 The only explanation he makes of his declaration that . bomb under the din- ing table of President Roosevelt and Booker Washington would have done no harm Is the very brief assertion that 1t was In fun. and that 1t created laughter. That Is probably an after thought. but if he has that sort of con- ception of fun. he Is not a man of wis., dom. of prudence, of se1f-control enough to be set up as a leader of men. That sort of fun does not go in Congress: he will not be able to get bills through or to protect the. South from Its ene- mics with such humor as that. It Is to be hoped that the explanation, poor as it Is. will be of some service to Dem- ocrats In the East and West, when they are faced with his declaration, but we fear that such will not be the case
 It will also be observed that MT. Hefiin goes out of his way to assign personal reasons for The Advertisers attitude towards him in the Fifth District cam paign. The Advertiser Is free to ad- init that 1t has never admired Mfr. Hefiin. but its judgment of him ante dates his speech at Luverne on the peonage question, or his foolish attack on Major Screws in the last State Con- vention, which instantly proved to be such a terrific boomerang. There is no need of going into reasons for that judgment; suflce 1t to say that he Is not only steadily justifying that opin- ion, but he is constantly convincing the general public of it's correct ness. The chances are that the Democrats of the Fifth District would now be happy to set him aside, if it was practicable. But 1t is too late he is the nominee and the Party will have to carry him through.
 It Is, absurd for Mir. Hefiin to set down The Adertiser's criticisms to per- sonal antasonism. What about The Birmingham News? What about Gov ernor Oates? Both have said much severer things of his Tuskegee speech than The Advertiser.
 It Is plain that Mir. Hefin does not enjoy the full reports of the Fifth Dis trict campaign The Advertiser has made. He specially mentions the pub licity given to his opponents candida reported his own speech so fully The Advertiser Is newspaper. and it Is going to print political news especially. Exciting campaigns are not everyday learned that Walker was going to open his campaign with a sensational speech. we sent a stan correspondent to report 1t. The speech justified that ! trouble; 1t was a severe arraignment of MT. Hehins public record. When Mir. Hefiin's friends notified this paper that he had prepared a card answering Walkers strictures, we printed 1t. When MT. Hefiin wired this paper that he was going to make a speech at Tuskegee, a stan correspondent was sent there to report him. There was plenty of news in his speech. and we printed 1t fully. If the result in either case is unsatisfactory to him, we when 1t Is necessary for a Democratic | paper to act out the old fiction that all | Democratic nominees are angels, and that all opponents are devils. The new l Constitution removed whatever neces- sity existed for that sort of thing. If DemOcTdtc nominees are vulnerable and if Republicans attack their records, 1t is news; the reading public wants 1t and it is entitled to it. If the Democratic nominees make utterances that are inflammatory and amazing, it Is not the business of Democratic pa- pers to suppress them. Publicity is | sometimes severe. but 1t Is wholesome; 1t is the best cure for all political blun- ders.
 | Mir. Hehin says he will carry his dis trict by ten thousand majority. We arl not prepared to dispute 1t. It makes little difference about the size of his | majority. But 1t frequently requires more than a Democratic majority .o seat a man in Congress. If the House is Republican. he might lose his seat even with ten thousand majority. Those utterances of his at Tuskegee and this very card, making little explanation expressing no regret and boasting of a part of them, might cost him his seat He may be very humorous speaker but the next House might not like his style of wit.