The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-17
CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR
CONFIDENT LAST NIGHT
Some of the Most Interesting Fights
Are lnVarious Wards of the City.
City Officers On the
Ticket.


but the casting Of the ballots, and the
| shouting of the cohorts of the victors 1t
is now but a matter of time before the
people will call the bluffs of those whose
hands are not strong.
The date of the primary is tomorrow,
Monday, February 49, This date was set
| by the city democratic executive COM
mittee about one month ago today. The
campaign, therefore, has been short, ex-
ceedingly short, this characteristic MAX
ing it incumbent on the candidates to
keep busy, and awaken deal Of enthusi-
asm, snap and ginger.
The campaign has been one without
well defined issue, that is, an issue adj
mitted with one candidate standing for
| this and the opponent for that. Mayor
Ward stated that there was decided
| issue, and asked the question, Shall the
people or whisky rule the city," How
ever, Captain O'Brien has not champ
toned the liquor interest, in spite of the
fact that it is admitted that he will re-
ceive its support. He stated that he
would receive that support because that
support was positively opposed to Mayor
! Ward. The Mayor stated that he had
antagonized the liquor interest on account
of the fact that he has stringently regu-
lated that traffic and melted out punish
ment to all violators of the law.
The MayoraIty Candidates.
The candidates are George B. Ward, the
incumbent. and Capt. Frank P. oBrien.
Mayor Ward is just completing his first
term. Prior to his election as Mayor, he
4 81. Il
ward for a long number of years. He
made two races for the mayoralty, hav-
ing been defeated at his first trial by w.
| Melville Drennen. He won out in his
second campaign over Charles S. Sim
mons, John w. O'Neill, John C. Forney
and others. His term expires in May.
Captain O'Brien was one of the first
Settlers of Birmingham, and has been
identified with the city from its infancy.
He was a member of the first city coun-
Gil, has served as sheriff of the county.
and has represented Jefferson in the leg
islature. There is no better known nor
more highly respected man I'm Birming-
ham than Captain O'Brlen.
The race promises to be exceedingly
close, and both candidates have been very
mated that but $500 votes will be cast in
the primary. The number registered in
the several wards was $40. About 200
registered Friday and Saturday when tho
state registration booths were re-opened.
1t is estimated that about a hundred
more will register tomorrow, those who
were either sick or out of the city during
the week of city registration.
The Candidates Confident.
Both of the mayoralty candidates were
seen yesterday, and both are confident
of winning.
Said Mayor Ward last night: ION the
| eve of the election I am confident Of VIC
| tory. I am counting on receiving be-
| tween 1900 and 1000 votes, which will
easily land the day. 1 have endeavored
to conduct a clean campaign, and re-
greet that some dirt singing has been in
dulged in by my opponents. 1 have
served the city one term, and am asking
| for a second, an endorsement of my ad-
ministration, the features OF which are
well known, and the excellence Of which
is to be judged tomorrow"
Captain O'Brien was equally as conf
dent He gave The Age-Herald leave to
| quote him to the effect that he would
| show George Ward under so far that he
would be the most surprised man in Biz
| mingham." When asked for an estimate
| of the vote that he would receive he did
| not state the figures. He remarked that
probably many of the voters would not
vote. He stated. too, that he had made
an active campaign. which ne had con-
Quoted single handed and that he felt
sure that victory would come his way.
Both candidates urged their supporters
| to show up at the polls.
The Police Department.
For the position of chief of the police
department there are four candidates
William e. Wier, the incumbent; C. w
| Austin, ex-chief: George II. Bodeker and
]. B. Morson. The fight has waxed
warm throughout. and all the candidates
claim the day. Mr.. Austin is the fire in
spector of the Southern Tariff associa-
ton. and Mr. Bodeker has for a long
number of years been a police officer
and detective of the city. Mr.. Morson has
never before asked for office.
There are ten candidates for the four
vacancies to be filed in the police COM
4
ger Hal J. Copeland. Charles A. Jones,
| w. r. McGavock, Walter L. Metcalf, T.
f. Parker, F. I. Tarrant, NJ NJ. Ullman,
Dave Wurtzburger and F. b. Yielding.
Only one of the candidates has served
on the commission, Mr.. Parker He has
been a police commissioner for a number
of years, and was at one time chairman.
The three other members of the commits
sion, whose terms will expire In May are
Eugene Flies, Dan Donahoe, who is the
present chairman, and George Phillips
The candidates are making themselves
active, and the race, it Is thought, will
be exceptionally close.
The candidates are none the less
abashed or rendered less enthusiastic on
account of the bill pending in the legis-
lation to abolish the commission and
bring the police department again under
the wing of the city government
For City Offices.
The action of the executive commit
tee in making the city officers elective,
added new interest to the campaign, be-
cause 1t CAV an opportunity for tn broad
ening ID tbs Akht. aaA increased IL