The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-01
SPEAKERSHIP CONTEST
FORGING TO THE FRONT
BY HERvEY w. LAIRD.

Montgomery, March 3l.-(Special.)- y
News that several of the counties have
nominated representatives to the legs-
lature the prospective race for the speak
ership of the next house begins to loom
up as a bidder for more than ordinary
attention. Tyler Goodwin of Montgomery,
Joseph j. Arnold of Calhoun and John
Wallace of Madison, are so far pretty
we'll in the running, with A. d. Pitts of
Selma, feeling somewhat like 1t. How
ever, the real interesting part of the
situation is that possibly T Re will be
a movement later on 10 L. Mar
tin of Montgomery in thf even II
his county man, Ir. Goo IS in al
ready. Us ~
Mr.. Martin made a very positis e state
ment about his position on the rate ques-
ton during his campaign. writing in a
general letter that he would be in favor
of giving that power to the state desired
by the interstate commission to meet the
conditions as now seen by the President
in the nation and the Conner following
in the state. 1t is not known to what the
Martin movement Is attributed, except
the possibility that he is to be regarded
as a Conner man. Mr. Martin was for
merly attorney general of the state and
codifed the laws some years. ago.
In the event that any contingency does
get Mr.. Martin in the rae. the speaker
ship will become matter of far reach
ing interest. Mr. Goodwin, who has an
nounced and has so far the support OF
the Montgomery delegation. is aggressive
and progressive, full of fight and possess
ed of ability. He has one little defect In
his democratic record, but having gone
through the stormy period OF the kolb
regime and free silver. he is not alone
there Mr. Arnold will come down with a
reputation made as a friend or the COM
mon schools, now a very popular feature,
and a new alignment among the con-
servative element as well as the freight
rate following. Mr.. Wallace is one of
the best known men of the state and
has a following among all the interests.
Mr. Pitts is Conner man. and let 1t be
known in the campaign he made that
such were his sentiments. In fact every
man in the talking is well established up
on some sort of rate platform, and II
seems that all are waiting to get off in
bunch little later on. And others are
vet to come. 1t is rumored that one OF
the men from Jefferson's seven, Will also
have an eye to the seat Of honor, and
possibly one from Mobile.
Federal Court Bill.
The question of relief for federal court
dockets in Alabama hobs up, If not Sc
renely, with every turn of the congress
sional wind, and may be depended upon
to get no nearer a settlement than before
at each move. The Underwood bill, just
reported from the lower house of Con-
gress judiciary committee seeks to en-
force upon the judges OF the middle and
northern districts six months of court in
each year, in Birmingham, and now the
lawyers of the middle district have sent
wire to Congressman Wiley to have
inserted in the bill provision for SIX
months at least in Montgomery with
Tuscaloosa and Admission territory yet
to hear from. The plan, however, does
not provide any more help than is now
to be had. and as 1t seems to look to
the relief of Birmingham at the expense
of the rest of the territory. there is a
kick being registered good and strong.
All this time the docket is getting fuller