The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-17
FORMER CONGRESSMAN
 WILL FIGHT TO END
Declares He Is Entitled to Succeed
 Morgan.
Conner VIII Appoint Bankhead Today But Does Not Consider This As Binding On Leg
 islature.


 are screaming. banners are Haunting in the air. and Alabama is right now the battle ground of political con- test that is going to make history. It is war and Conner and Bankhead are the leaders.
 Captain John H. Bankhead, for eigh- teen years a member of Congress from the Sixth Congressional District, and for years prominent in the public life of the State. takes tile statement of Governor Conner in announcing the ap- pointment of himself (Bankhead), as United States Senator from Alabama to succeed Senator John Tyler Morgan as a declaration. of var. For that mat ter every man informed on the politi- cal situation in Alabama, takes the Governors statement to mean the same thing.
 And Captain Bankhead in his Bir- mingham statement accepts the chal- lenge. He picks up the gauntlet that the Governor has thrown down. He declares that he has the right to the honor awarded him by the people or Alabama and he proposes to fight to retain that honor. And everybody knows he is a fighter.
 He says in, his announcement that he had to fight for everything he ever got and he can fight to retain his nomination, to fill -out the unexp1red term of Senator Morgan. Therefore, fight is on, because the Governor in- timated in his statement which accom- panied the appointment of Captain Bankhead that he did not consider the sixth district citizen the right man 10 be United States Senator.
 If~Captain Bankhead is defeated be- fore the Legislature he will have to be defeated by some other man than the Governor, for that oficial has plainly said that he did not propose to enter the fight himself The Governor does not appear to have a candidate. in that he Is at disadvantag,. If he has candidate, it is of the dark horse va riety, such as Colonel Henry Watter- son is grooming for the Presidency
 Without an open candidate, he ap- pears to be in a bad position to make a winning fight against Bankhead. There is no prominent Conner man men, tioned for the honor. Captain Frank S. White, by the well-informed, has never been considered an available can- didate. Captain White, who was one of the most prominent men on the Conner side in the last campaign, has been devoting himself exclusively to his big law practice in Birmin gham. His friends say that he has no idea of entering the race, and that if he did, he might encounter bitter opposition. At any rate, he has so far manifested no intention of fighting for the sena- torial toga.
 Editor Rufus N. Rhodes has come out in his paper. The Birmingham News. declaring that the Governor should ap- point Captain Bankhead, and the edi- torial indicated that MT. Rhodes had no intention himself of taking any part in the Senatorial primary. The Birmingham man had denounced the plan by which the alternate Senators were selected. but his editorial de- clared that faith should be kept with, the people who took part in the pri. mary and that Captain Bankhead. who won the nomination. was entitled to the fruits of his victory. It has been pointed out that, notwithstanding the position taken by Editor Rhodes. he rial honors. Still, his candidacy Is re- garded as most improbable.
 Beyond Captain White and Editor Rhodes, no other prominent Conner man has been mentioned. So the question that burns in Alabama politics just now is, Who will the Governor pick out to defeat Captain Bankhead?" There is no answer yet.
 On the other hand. some of those who know politics and public men in Ala bama, say that the Governor really has no candidate. They say. with his usual boldness. he has come out. in a declaration intimating that Captain Bankhead is not the proper man, with out having in mind any man who should be named for the place.
 One of the most notable features of the present present situation Is the confidence of Captain Bankhead's friends. They appear to be absolutely certain that the Legislature will con- . firm the verdict of the people. regis tered in the primaries of last August. This verdict declared that the former Congressman should have the first va cancy from Alabama in the United States Senate. The moral effect of this primary victory is bound to have an influence on the action of the Legis- lature. Influence has been made mani- fest in a canvass of members of the Legislature made by Captain Bank heads friends, after a State Convention adopted resolution declaring that the plan should be construed as to carrying out the appointee only to the next spe- cial or regular session of the Legislas ture.
 It will be recalled that Captain Bank head addressed letter to all members of the Legislature asking their views of the responsibility placed upon them Oy tHb NSTulCL OI the pcOplc the pTl- mary. No announcement of the result of this canvass has been made, but the friends of Captain Bankhead ex- press themselves al being much grati- fled by is results. They Furthermore express their appreciation of the senti- ment which they say exists, that Cap tain Bankhead should get the nomi- nation awarded him by the people of Alabama. In this vote 1t will be re- called that Captain Bankhead received 12,000 more votes than the next high est man in the field of six candidates His friends are making the claim that the race for alternate senator was made In good faith and that the peo- pie in good faith selected him. They claim. too, that the people will expect this faith to be kept by the Legisla- ture.
 In the meanwhile the Conner men are denouncing the plan for electing alter nate senators, They have no candidate now and they are giving vent to their feeling by denouncing the plan and the committee which adopted it. They may in the future talk more definitely of a candidate. but at the present writing Captain Bahkhead appears to have no organized opposition.
 The announcement of Congressman William Richardson that he will not be candidate before the Legislature, was an important development of the senatorial situation. At one time it waS ragarded as very probable that