The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-31
INSIDE HISTORY OF
 SENATOR E. w. PETTUS
J. H. Nunneee Gives Some Unpublished Facts in Regard Early Political Ambitions of the Senaor-Story of His
 First Race for the Senate-A Sons Ambition.

Montgomery, July S0-(Special.)-"Now that Gen. F. w. Pettus is dead and gone 1t may not be amiss to give little of the unwritten history of how he got into the race for the United States senate" said Mir. J. II. Nunnelee, recording secr9- tary to the governor. and foriner edtor of the Selma Times. today. T, perhaps, am the only living man who knows the inside history of the matter and am cer- tainly the only one who witnessed the ad- vent of General Pettus into the race.
 "I was standing on the corner of Broad and Alabama streets one day when the late John F. Burns came along. After talking awhile on general topics he got onto the subject of United States senator ship and suggested that I write an article bringing Senator Pettus for the position. I talked with him for while and rather discouraged the plan on the ground that 1t would be an impossibility to elect two United States senators from the same town. Captain Burns, who was one of the greatest geniuses that ever lived, contend ed stoutly that it could be done and con- vinced me that 1t would be a good idea to write article as feeler
 T went to my office and without saying word to anyone else, wrote a short, pointed article suggesting General Pettus for the senate I had the article slugged and sent great many copies of the pa per throughout the state to the different newspapers, just to see how the sugges- ton would take The morning the paper came out 1 met Frank Pettus and he took me to task in right lively manner for taking the step without first consulting him. l told him frankly about the talk with Captain Burns and that l had avoid ed consulting him on purpose for fear that he would not agree with the proposition and would stop the matter. He then told me that he was afraid it would interfere with the plans he haa mapped out, and expressed regret that had taken the step without first having q talk with him as to his plans. l told him that l did not think that the article could possibly do any harm and on the contrary had writ ten it to feel the public pulse and see if 1t was possible to elect General Pettus to the senate.
 Press Took It Up.
 ''The press of the state took the matter up and l commenced to copy the articles that were written about him, and in less than three weeks Frank Pettus came to me an dtold me that he thought he was mistaken about the effect the editorial was going to have. and he then thought it was good thing. He said he would think matters over as the subject developed and would let me hear from him at a later date.
 T kept on booming General Pettus for the senate and the apers kept up the many nice complimentary things that they were saying about him. and pretty soon the fact developed that he was big enough and held warm enough place in the af fections of the people to be elected to the General Morgan lived in the same town and were voters of the same ward
 T met Frank Pettus one day about 2:30 o'clock and he asked me to go up to din- ner with him, as he had something he wanted to talk to me about I told him that 1 had been to dinner, and he said, Well. come on and walk up home vita me and l will tell you what 1 want you to do.'
 A Sons Ambition.
 ''On the way up to the house he in- formed me that he had never yet preached the subject to his father about his running for the Senate that 1t was his ambition for him to end his days in the upper branch of Congress, but that he thought the way for him to reach the goal to run for governor and then step from the gubernatorial chair into the Senate. He asked me to talk to the general on the subject while he was eat ing his dinner and he would get through in few minutes and would come in and join me, and between us we could probably induce him to run for gov ernor and step from that office into the senatorial chair.
 General Pettus had about finished his