The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-02
MEN AND THINGS

Savoyard in the Washington Post
e. w. Carmack is one of the most bril-
liant men In the United States Senate,
one of the most accomplished, and one of
the ablest 1t would have been well for
the democratic party of the whole coun-
try and for the state of Tennessee par
tcularly if this man hid been gi9en re-
election without contest, as would have
been the case had he been a republican
and resided in any republican state of the
union. He is not as great a man as Isham
G. Harris Andy Johnson; but with the
exception of those two, he Is the foremost
senator Tennessee has had since Felix
Crundy or Hugh l.. White. l do not be-
eve Tennessee has another man who
would give Spooner CT Lodge as much
trouble as Carmack gives them. He is an
intrepid debater, scorns quarter from an
adversary, and has none for opponent.
| 1t Is an evidence of convictions-an evil
dence that the man believes In what he
breaches, and that is great thing, even
in a United States senator.
1t Is to be regretted that Senator Car
mack agreed to leave the decision of his
| candidacy to a primary election. That Is
. not the method of choosing United States
| senator's contemplated by the trainers of
] the federal constitution. 1t Is contrary
| to the federal IDEAS. / know that nearly
everybody believes in 1t these times. and
| that there Is almost universal demand for
! it; but the truth Is that the fathers con-
i templated and provided that senators
| In Congress should be chosen by the Sc
lected agents of communities equal in
numerical strength. The Senate was to be
p deiberative body and senator's were to
be chosen by deliberative bodies That is
why the Senate for more than a century
: has been the greatest Legislative body on
| earth. When senators shall be chosen
| by direct vote the jenate will degenerate
| and go down, down. down Senators will
| no longer represent sovereign states; they
will be the product of irresponsible and
whimsical mobs.
1t is said that Carmack and Bob TAYLOR
will go on the stump and appeal to the
groundlings, and If they do 1t will be
worth long journey to hear a joine de-
participated in that sort Of thing he had
his brother. ALT Taylor, for adversary
Carmack is different order of man.
and there will not be a single blank
cartridge in his locker the day he takes
the field-not a suspicion of opera bouffe
In anything he says or anything he does
That is why the democratic party is GO
Ing to reap no benefit from n campaign
btween them. Bob laughed Alf's plati-
tudes off the stump Carmacks sar-
audience may laugh at them, | doubt IL
Bob does. ! never saw Spooner Lodge
laugh at one of them, though the gall
leries enjoyed them immensely
The logical thing from the standpoint
Of the practical politician would be an
alliance between thse two: but Senator
Bates untimely death defeated that ex-
pectation. The governor snatched the
old mans toga before Bob or Benton Nc
Millin could say Jack Robinson" A
Pennsylvania boss could not have taken
or given a senatorshlp with more dis
patch of with DETER manipulation Before
Benton could raise his voice in warning
against the tariff barons. before Bob had
tuned his fiddle to the inspiring strains
of the Mess o. Chickens the governor
had the senatorship in pawn, and as soon
as they got the old hero buried he nailed
the senatorship down. The term does not
expire until 1911, and hence that reduced
Bob to the necessity of trying conclusions
with Carmack-and a very cruel dispensa-
tlon of fate it was. 1t is forlorn hope.
and Bob loves to have the scabbard re-
main by his side when he draws the
sword Carnack's sword never had any
scabbard. 1t Is a perfectly useless trap
ping i'm the Carmack estimation.
| am sorry they left the decision to
primary, and sorry that they are going
on the stump In joint discussion. Tonnes
see is a greater state and has n more in
telligent people than when lean Jenny
Jones and James K. Polk made their two
canvasses for governor. In those days
the people depended on stump orators TO
instruct them. and so they did years
later, when Andy johnson made those
two historic campaign-one against Gus
tavus A. Henry and the other against
Meredith p. Gentry. In those days IL was
necessary for the public man TO appeal to
the people from the stump; but in our
day one newspaper. such as that u. w.
Carmack made when he was an editor,
will make more public opinion than all
the stump orators in Tennessee.
Benton McMiin seems to have com
pIetely dropped out, and II Is a pity. But
the man wound not let well enough alone.
His place was the house of representa-
tives, and he had a life lease on his
seat Just when he was most needed there
he left IL go chasing after the senator
ship Tennessee had two senators whom
everybody but Benton know would die
senators. 1t would have been well for
McMiliin had he recoi nzed this fact, as
Bob Taylor did. and waited for the heav-
en-created vacancy. But he would not do
that and that Is why he is undone.
Again he took the wrong road to the SEN
ate. speak acknowledgements Frazier
IL an exception. Ordinarily it is nearer
| the Senate from the house Of representa-
| tives than it is from the governors man
sion. Frazier was aided by exceptional