The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-14
STATE POLITICAL GOSSIP
 HEARD AT THE CAPITOL
BY HERvE Y w. LAIRD.

and senatorial district will have a say in
 not only the selection of the men to serve
 but those who may be appointed in any
 contingency. Now, will you please tell
 me where there is anything undemocratic
 about letting the people say who shall
 serve them?" asked a man who Is wholly
 in line with the committee. AS the sue
 cession is in this way cared for, 1t Is
 conceded that there will be every prob ability of the present senators having no opposition.
 One of the interesting things about the
 action regarding the congressional pri-
 maries has to do with those seeking to be elected to the lower house and having ar the same time aspirations for the upper. Will the committee of the sub division call an early election and get that out of the way so there will be an open field for any who desire to seek the higher l honor? It Is believed that this will be done John H. Bankhead of the Sixth Is supposed to be up against this kind of situation. It is quite sure that he will go out to prevent Richmond Pearson Hob
 son, the hero, from taking his congress sional scalp, while at the same time there is an understanding that he has ann bitions to succeed one or the other of the men who now grace the Alabama sena- torial assignments. It is thought that all the congressional primaries will be called early, say in April so that they can be gotten out of the way, with whatever or entangling alliances they may have, be- fore the state contest gets fully warmed up.
 Outside the Sixth district there does not promise anything in the way of real fight except that the Rev. Harry Mar tin, erstwhile Baptist preacher and at present newspaper man, may cause Henry Clayton some sleeplessness In the Third district It is not thought that Martin
 has great deal of strength so far, but he Is a versatile fellow and fine talker and mixer and with the Conner ideas of the rate question he may get in good work when the portly incumbent Is not looking A man from Dothan was here this week. When asked how the vote would go in Dothan he replied: For Clayton 800, for Martin nothing He left the impression on those hearing him that he had overstepped the mark even for | Clayton. The people of Birmingham re-
 member MT. Martin quite we'll Several | years ago while Dr. F. T. Hale was pas I tor of the Southside Baptist church, he | conducted a meeting for that congrega- | tion Remarkable interest was aroused and the Birmingham papers gave hdm great deal of space. Since that time he l has bought and is now running a rather prominent weekly III OZdrk, the inelropolls | of Dale county His paper has been read | far and wide for the vigor of its editorial l expression and the evident intention to talk out in meeting no matter whom 1t hits.
 | There was feeling three weeks ago
 that William Hodge Sanford of Troy. son 1 of the lamented governor, would get into the roll with Aristo A. Wiley, now hold l ing the commission from the Second but 1 1t Is related that he Is out of 1t for some time at any rate I've are going to keep him at Troy for while yet, so you fel- | lows let him alone" said friend after
 the meeting of the committee last Tues
 day. This promises to make living easy
 for the Alabama member of the Taft
 Philippine party for one more term at | least. Colonel Wiley has lost an honor 1 recently, however, the Atlantic Coast Line