The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-14
" W Crawford Says Captain Johnston Would bt Ideal Can-
 didats for Either Position
ONLY IN CASE OF GENERAL
 DEMAND WOULD HE RUN
ResoIute and Aggressive, Johnston, Says Crawford, Would Be Remark ably Effective as Governor or
 United States Senator.

w. W. Crawford, president of the Amer lean Trust and Savings bank, and one of the financial leaders of Birmingham. had this to say yesterday in speaking of Governor Johnstons political attitude at this time:
 ''The governor has a very great pressure on him to enter the gubernatorial race. not as the railroad candidate. for the railroads and corporations have opposed him in every race he ever made for of flee, but to represent the conservative business. financial. agricultural and edu- cational interests of the state.
 Many of the gentlemen who formerly opposed the governor are free to admit that while they did not approve his so called attempt to dominate the politics of the state, they recognize the fact that he gave the people a firm strong and capable administration. one that gave con- fdence at home and abroad, that was marked by great influx of foreign capi- tai and tremendous gain in taxable val ues.
 Many of these men urge upon the gov ernor that no man could do more than he to promote the financial and industrial
  tional interests on firmer ground. It is now recalled that former Superintendent Of Education Dr. Abercrombie, in his last report to Governor Johnston, paid him the tribute of saying that he had recom- mended every reform that had been made ir the educational system of the state.
 Johnston Would Be Fair.
 Many people believe that railroads should be controlled rates reduced. and discrimination prohibited, but they do not wish to see the railroads crippled, or de- velopment choked off; and they believe that Governor Johnston would undertake this task, as he did other things, with firm, determined hand, and yet be just and fair.
 "So far as the governor is concerned" continued MT. Crawford T am sure that he has no desire to fill the office again. and only the idea that there was general demand for him to do so would make him consider the question:
 ''The greatest complaint that the politi clans had against the governor was that . he was not amenable to advice. but fol- lowed his own head and defied oppos- ton. His stand against the new consti- tuition has been indicated, for it is now re- membered that when the act calling the convention was repealed, he urged the legislature to submit an amendment get ting rid of the negro vote, which was de- fected by the very men who made that their chief cry for a new constitution.
 Opposed Ratification.
 '.It is remembered, too, that when the tla governor opposed ratification, because it would disfranchise 100000 white voters and sunsettle for long time property rights and cause many resorts to the courts to settle new constitutional questions. For < this the governor was criticised, but 1t is now known that his head was level on both propositions; 100000 white voters Z have almost been disfranchised and the end is not yet, though the advocates of the constitution on every stump said no white man would be disfranchised if the constitution was left in the hands of it's friends; and no one needs to be informed ] how courts have been smashed in the last two years.
 "The fact is," continued MT. Crawford, 5 Governor Johnston has more personal friends than any other public man in Ala bama There are hundreds in nearly every precinct in Alabama who believe in his intelligence, patriotism and fidelity to friends and duty, He has never deceived s the people, never adyocated on the stump principles or policies Or men that he turned his back upon when in office.
 Stood By His Friends.
 'fHe has pursued the policies he advo- cated and stood by his friends without consequence to himself and when de- feated he never sulked, never complained of outrages that were perpetuated at the ballot box against him.
 "In his race against Senator Morgan it is certain that he sustained ..tmself in joint debate with the peerless Senator. :, md so close was the vote that a change of fifteen to one hundred votes in ten | or twelve counties would have made Johnston senator over a gentleman who was considered the ablest and most pop ular man in the state, backed by the politicians. corporations. railroads, and