The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-19
senators must measure up to for some years to come.
 State Gossip Beuun,

senators must measure up to for some years to come.
 State Gossip Begun.
 With a state election in Alabama once every four years as provided by the new constitution, 1t Is natural that state po- litical gossip should begin a year in ad- vance of the election.
 While some lively contests are expected for the state officers and in several of the congressional districts the pollti- clans almost agreed upon one thing, and that is that Acting Governor Cunningham will be elected the next governor. Fate has placed the executive reins of the state in Dr. Cunnlngham's hands and fate bids fair to hold them there.
 From From time to time the names of several prospective candidates have been mentioned to make the race against the Acting Governor. At the present the most prominently mentioned possibilities are B. B. Conner, president of the rail- road commission, and Capt Richmond Pearson Hobson. If either one of the proposed candidates has encouraged any use of their names in connection with the governorship. the fact has failed to leak out.
 Capt Hobson is out of the state most of the time. He Is not in touch with the people of Alabama. He has built no fences looking to a guber- material contest On the other hand Capt Hobson has said on several occasions that he Is not in politics. He has never had any special training that would fit him for the governorship and 1t is doubtful if he ever seriously considered entering the race for the place
 MT Conner has never intmated that he would like to fill the governors chair He was elected president of the railroad commission on platform for which he had been fighting for years. He does not take his office until MarVh 1. and it Is doubtful if he would consider giving 1t up to another before he has carried out the reforms for which he has fought so vigorously.
 Woul Make Warm Fight
 As campaigners the Acting Governor and Mir. Conner would make things warm in Alabama. Their methods are different, but each would inject enough of his pe- culiar style into the campaign to enter tain the voters of the state hugely during the progress of the campaign.
 AS a rough and tumble campailzner the Acting Governor is unexcelled. When 1t comes to telling jokes that can be under stood and that will elicit laughter, he is unrivaled. He has the happy faculty of making himself understood by all classes of voters. No one can wax mpre eloquent and no one can pay a higher tribute to women than the versatile Acting Gov ernor.
 MT. Conner is the kind of spell binder'' who follows a campaign with all the arr dor of his soul. He knows how to make point and has the faculty of dring 1t home after he makes it. He conducts politics with the same intense earnestness that he con- ducted his Sunday school while superin- tendent of the First Methodist church Sunday school. As a Sunday school work CT Mir. Conner put his whole heart and soul in the work. Oftentimes he stood out on the north steps of the Sunday school room with the thermometer near the zero mark and grasped the hands of each of his Sunday school pupils as he or she came up the steps. So completely en- unused was MT. Conner in making a sue cess of his Sunday school, that he paid scant heed to the cold or the heat of the seasons, in his eagerness to give a well come to all it's members
 pr. Cunningham has the record of achieving success. As a doctor he ranks high in his profession, as a politician he shows remarkable tact and as a govar- nor he has made a record that will race his name on the list of Alabamas fore most chief executives.
 Dr. Cunninghams first experience In politics was In his old home in Frank- lin county While very young man he ran for the legislature against an "old timer of that county The campaign was hot and furious. Doctor Cunning ham made the statement that if he was defeated he would move from the county. The doctor was elected by narrow ria- jority Shortly afterwards he removed to Jefferson county. His sometime op- ponent. who had always contended that he had been elected on being told of the doctors removal, said Well, I have always insisted that the doctor was an honest man He said that if he wasn't elected he would move from the county and now he has gone"
 Mallory in Line.
 H. s. D. Mallory of Selma, chairman of the state democratic executive committed, is in line for the governorship. For years past he has served the party faithfully and has never sought renumerative of flee. He has strenuously avoided any thing that would place him in the atti- tude of being "a candidate, yet he has strong following in the state. and has always stood high in party councils. The best efforts of his life have been de- voted to his state and church. As presi- dent of the Alabama Baptist convention for several years he was an active fac tor in the religious development of the state.
 No man is further removed from the demagogue than MT. Mallory. When the primary movement struck the state, MT. Mallory believed in the convention sys- tenn. He was conscientious in his posi- ton. He was firm In his belief that the convention system was the best method, but when the people spoke out on the question as a public servant he saw to It that the peoples will was carried out.