The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-09

'Mefs' ancestry is southern for gener-
auons-yet, mentally and temperamental-
ly, he's not unlike Brother Jonathan of
the six New England states.
There's strain of David Harum
philosophy in Mel" His motto in politics
as well as in business is: DO TO the other
fellow what he wants to do to you and do
it first"
Georges" motto would run something
like this: DO to the other fellow what you
think ought to be done to him, and do
it often"
OF the three great incentives to hui
man action-love power and religion
both Mel" and George" have thus far
felt keenIy and deeply only one, namely.
power. Each has been a business man
Mel merchant, George a banker.
The thoughts, feelings, hopes plans, as
prations and even emotions of each have
been, and are, shaped, in large measure,
by the trading instinct. 1t CLEANS In their
eyes, sounds In their voices, is rejected
in their habits and manner and permeates
almost everything they say More tnan
one night in these mems lives have they
gone to sleep with cent per cent ringing
in their ears. to be Weakened the next
morning by the same sound
In silence and at night the conscience
feels
That man should soar to nobler heights
than power"
If to this George or Mel should say
anything, 1t would probably sound some
thing like "Bahl''-and then each might
finish the quotation and remind us that
such critics as we are known not, and
cannot know, the motives of the great"
The world needs such men. BY such
men a great deal of the worlds most en-
during work has been done. Yet though
this be true. the evident shortcomings-the
emphatic incompleteness-of such lives SO
lived need not be ignored. Neither
George nor Mel is conspicuous in
the church. Both are what might be
called flying buttresses." that is Outside
supports" although they are regular
worshippers. In the realm of affections
well, neither of them is married. Both of
Them however, have numerous and de-
voted friends among men.
With George" THE battle Is to the
strong, the race to the swift With
Mel the battle is not always to the
strong; it is often to the man with a pull.
The race. with Mel is not always to
the swift; 1t is not infrequenty to the
man who gets there" Mel is. per-
haps. more resourceful-more fertile in
eXpedients to accomplish his purposes
than George Is. George is more OIL
rect, and more aggressive than Mel" is.
George" is the better political tactician.
Mel the better political strategist.
Mel is the more capable TO conduct "a
mastery retreat George the more ca
pable to direct a Balaklava charge-to
do what is magnificent but what is not
politics.
The Mayor that is. and the Mayor that
is to be have fought for eight years like
cats and dogs in politics. In the concrete
pressure of political campaigns they have
called one another hard names and Bit
tcrly assailed one anothers policies; but
with 1t ALL they have continued to be.
and are now, on the friendliest possible
personal terms The time has never yet
been when their political differences have
prevented them from smoking one an
others cigars, drinking one another s
Vine or breaking bread with one another
at the club whats a little thing like
politics among frends?" they have prob
ably more than once asked one another.
Truly what Is n1tle thing like poll
tics between two men, so unlike and yet
81 likable, as w Melville Drennen, the
Mayor that is, and George B. Ward, the
Mayor that Is to be?
All of which explains why it is that
when Mel goes out and George goes
in, the friends of each will exclaim:
THE King is dead Long live the
Klng!'