The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-04
TWO MEN AND Al CAMPAIGN.

 We are also told with echoing insis- tenee that he has made successful campaign. and that. also. Is admitted. though our view of his success Is not exactly their view. He has gone over the State. making one or more speeches in almost or quite every one of the counties. and the burden of his speech es Tests On one very large T." He tells of the wonderful things he has done. most of which nobody ever heard of | until he let it out, and he tells of the great things he will do most of which he Is incapable of accomplish ing. and intelligent people know 1t. Listening to him, ones mind involun- tarily reverts to the famous school master in Goldsniith's Deserted vill- age" of whom the poet said:
 In arguing. too. the parson owned his
 skill
 For cen though vanished he could
 argue still;
 While words of learned length and
 laundering sound
 Amazed the gazing people ranged
 around:
 Aft0 SNlil AHGI SdHCuy anu stiAi lHS UOh-
 der grew
 That one small head could carry all ne
 knew.
 That fits Bully Boy Conner all over People wonder how one human being ever learned all that he claims to know, or accomplished all that he takes credit for. They wonder how his head can hold so much as he thinks it does, or how in the ordinary span of human life one man could do all that he boasts of. True, much of what he professes to know is a myth, and many of the great things he claims to have done must have been done in the dark, so effec- tuaily have they remained hidden from ordinary intelligence But he has made a remarkable campaign, up to date.
 And he has succeeded much better than he anticipated, but his success mainly consists in driving people away from him. People who are not well informed take offence at his obvious efforts to play on their ignorance. They can see that he is taking it for grant ed that they know nothing and that he thinks they will believe everything he says. That is offensive to them. Then he offends the well informed by mak- ing claims and pledges that they know are not well founded. They resent his plain intent to mislead and his taking it for granted that he knows 1t all, and that they know nothing.$ Thus he of lends all classes. As a repeller of vot- CTS MT. Conner Is a shining success.
 There is one point of difference be- tween Dr. Cunningham and Mir. Conner that is so plain and go conspicuous that 1t must be obvious to all who have taken the time or trouble to inform themselves on the subject. Dr. Cum ningham is aware that there are some two millions of people in Alabama. He has faith in their intelligence and gives them credit for it. He Is one of them and does not assume superiority in knowledge, information or patriotism over all the people of the State. He has a perfectly proper belief in his own capacity and fitness for the high off1ce he seeks ana uOeS not hesitdte to Sioi"A credit for what he has done or express confidence in what he is fitted to do.
 All this is natural and proper, but it is not Mir. Corners way. With him the personal pronoun is supreme The burden of his song is, "I did it," and "I will do it. An intense belief in his own greatness and contempt for his fellow men dominates him and is apparent and protrusive in all his speeches and writings. So over power ing his self -eonceit that he seems un- able to understand that the intelligent voters of Alabama have taken his measure and formed a just estimate or his capacity. They know that he over estimates himself and underestimates others. They know that he has not ac- complished all that he claims to have done, as they know that ne cannot carry out all the promises he makes. In short, they have lost confidence in him and he is responsible for it.
 Is it any wonder, all things consider ed. that the Conner boom Is waning and the Cunningham following growing In like proportion?