The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-13
GOV. J. F. JOHNSTON AND
EDITOR GRAVES IN ARENA
One for Birmingham and the Other for Atlanta Continue Famous
Argument on Sub-IreaSury Location
BY JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES.

Ex-Governor Johnston of Alabama Is,
providence permitting" future senator
of the United States.
Ii the four-score years of Morgan or
the four-score years and ten of Pettus
should, by reason of strength, become
fiVe-score, the ex-governor will doubtless
reflect upon the empty burden of old age,
and think more kindly of DR.. Osler than
he does today. AT present he is the per
hapsit' of politics, the residuary legatee
of senatorial mortality.
In speaking for birmingham before the
ways and means committee of tae House,
the ex-governor and the 'perhapst SEN
ator' made a speech that was evidently
restful to the committee in that II made
no requisition on the mind and imposed
no obligation upon thought. 1t was good
fun which happily concealed a gaunt and
fleshless skeleton of argument, and it had
the merit of amusing those whom it de-
SPARED of being able to convince. In the
course of his humorous and irrelevant
fun the residuary senator saw fit to make
allusion to Georgias withdrawal from the
Carolina-Alabama caucus and declared
time secession spirit which had been
rather soundly rebuked by the govern
ment and of which he confessed that he
had had enough.
This doubtful witticism gave great sur
prise to Georgia. The caucus reference
l have answered on yesterday. The allu-
sion to 1861" is unhappy for the ex-
governor and prox-senator. South Caro-
lima led the movement for secession"
William L. Yancey of Alabama, had more
to do with it than Robert Toombs. Ala
bama was the fourth across the line and
in advance of Georgia. whose conserVa.
tive statesmen, Alexander Stephens and
Herschel V. Johnson, made the most mem
orable pleas for settling our sectional di
visions within the union. 1t seems a lit
tie out of plumb that an Alabama pub
licist i'm full commercial partnership with
South Carolina, should appear before a
national committee to plead his states
course by a sly criticism of Georgia for
participating in a movement inaugurated
by his bosom ally and organized in the
capital of its own great state.
Georgia has no apology to offer for the
heroic convictions which bore her sons
of siXty-one to battle. She fought the
fight and she finished the bitterness with
the battles close and went straight to
work to lead the recuperative miracle of
the New South. and the larger glory of
a reunited country.
And she finds today-forty years after
the war is done-that Carolina and Ala
bama are still at their old tricks-with
Congress as the arena-the one inaugural
ing and the other organizing a seces-
sion from an agreement duly made, and
the establishment of new agreement
fitted to their necessities and adapted to
their plans
The senator governor serves chiefly to
remind us that history repeats itself and
that Carolina and Alabama have set an
example to their neghbors which brought
trouble to themselves
Note.-This editorial and that of yes
terday on "Carolinas Snipe Hunt" made
the substance of the closing remarks of
the editor of The Georgian in answer
to the personal illusions In the speech
of Ex-Governor Johnston of Alabama, be-
fore the ways and means committee The
latter part of the argument was cur
tailed by the limited time left after Con-
gresham Livingston's speech. The edi-
tor of The Georgian had spoken ten
minutes before this concluding period of
ten minutes in which Chairman McCord
had asked him to close the debate.
The members of the Birmingham SUBJ
II easury delegation received many con-
CALCULATIONS yesterday on the work they
accomplished while in Washington.
Mai. c. j. Allison was one of the most
enthusiastic member sof the party. Major
Allison said last night;
Il am more than confident that the
sub treasury will be located I'm Birming-
ham, We received every assurance that
the claims of this city would be fully con-
sidered by members of both houses, and l
am quite sure that the measure will have
easy sailing in the ways and means COM
mittee of the House and the judiciary
committee of the Senate. However, the
people of Birmingham must not lag in