The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-03
TO FIGHT FOR
 GOV. JOHNSON Committee Organized for Alabama Work. CAPT. A. 6. SMITH AT THE HEAD Johnson Presented as the Available
 Candidate. speakers win. Go Out over Alabama Biz Meeting VIII Be Held in Montgomery and Bryan Men
 wiu Be Invited.
CAPT. A. G. SMITH AT THE HEAD

The Friends or GONcEnoi S@tih Johnson. of Minnesota, have orSanizeu in Alabama and they announce their purpose of conducting an active ana thorough campaign to win the Alabama delegation for him In the Denver con vention. They have qualified him as candidate in the approaching primary and his name will be printed upon the official ballot.
 Captain A. c. Smith, a former chair man of the State Executive Committee and a leading attornew of Birmingham is chairman of the Campaign Commit tee which will work for Governor Johnson in Alabama. James l.. David son. prominent attorney of Btrming- ham is secretary of the Committee which has already opened headquarters at the Florence Hotel.
 The Johnson Campaign Committee will conduct an active speaking cam paign. The first of the meetings at which addresses will be made will be held at Rockford and Goodwater on Monday May 1. In the latter part of the week a big meeting will be held in Montgomery at which the supporters of Mr. Bryan will be asked to ap- pear and speak. If they accept the invitation lively meeting is expect ed.
 Chairman Smith of the Johnson cam patgn announces that he has himself
 
 off Governor Johnson as manifested in lettters. telegrams. and telephone paIls urging a fight in Alabama for Governor Johnson. In statement Ient to The Advertiser last night Chairman Smith makes 1t plain that
 he campaign of Governor Johnson is made because of his availability and lot in opposition to Mir Bryan or his policies. He sets out that these fav- ,ring the candidacy of Governor John lon do so because 'he is a consistent winner, not a loses and because he las a support in the doubtful States which no other candidate can hope to command.
 The announcement of the committee as sent out yesterday afternoon fol- lows:
 TO the Democracy of Alabama.
 In presenting the name of Governor John. A Johnson. of Minnesota, to the democracy of Alabama, for the Presi- dency. the committee is not actuated by any. spirit of personal antaEonism to Mr. Bryan. or any lack of appreci- ation of his great abilities and char aeter Many of the members of this committee have, in the past. been his warmest supporters, both before and after his nomination. and all have been loyal to him after he received the nom nations. and If Tor the third time
 
 In hiss hands at pSnveT we wflT De loyal still.
 We prefer the nomination of Gov ernor Johnson and we urge his name upon the democracy of Alabama, be- cause We believe that our chances of success would be greatly improved thereby, Governor Johnson has been twice elected Governor of the State or Minnesota, where the normal Republi- can majority is almost one hundred thousand. his last election being by greater majority than his first. He possesses in a remarkable degree the confidence and the enthusiastic sup port of larg+ element of the for eign vote, particularly of the Scandina- vtAn origin, who, for many years, nave been almost unanimously Republican and without whose support we have not been able to win National eIec- tion since the war.
 The argument of availability. we in- sist, is perfectly legitimate and appro- priate. It is of great conseduenca to the South at this time. Upon the shoulders of the Sixty-frst Congress elected next November will falf the duty of reappointing representation in Congress in the electoral college. Mir. Crumpacker. of Indiana, Is Chairman of the Census Committee which has Jurisdiction over that question. The Republican Convention of Ohio. fin al platform dictated by MT. Taft, the pro- baole Republican nominee, has de- clared for the reduction of Southern representation and it is altogether pro- oable that a plank will be found in the next Republican platform pledxinr tne party unequivocally to that poli- cy The injudicious effect of the adop. ton or this policy upon the South is. we fear, not fully appreciated bv o,ir people It. Is not. as some imagine, merely matter of sentiment and the holding of an unimportant ofice by q lew gentlemen, It is. in our opfn- ion, or the greatest vital conseouence to the South. From the very begin nlng or this government down to the present time. the great bulk of Fed eral appropriations has been expend- ca in the North. The depletion of our natural wealth by this source is dif1- cult to over-estimate. It has heen going on for over one hundred vesr. and It's ripe fruit is attAsted in large part by the wide difference in the wealth Of the two sections. This is not the exclusive reason, 1t is true. hut IL IS one Of the largest factors in the unequal distribution of wealth be- tWeen the sections. To some extent this injustice has been checked in recent years by the insistence Of our repre- sentatives upon something uka a1,fa | rights in the matter of river ana bar Dor appropriations, in the matter of public buildings and of rural free ds- livery and other postal facilities reduction of one-half or one-third tr our representation means that inst to that extent will the internal dsvaIav ment of the South through ihereasSd. rivers and harbors approprIstIons through improced postal facilities and through public buildings be cheess-sS and retarded, and to that much great CT extent will the wealth of the Souths be depleted. N''
 There are other considerations :0, great importance involved in this mat ter of equality fin representation in the National Congress and in the elec- toral college Our political rights are intimately connected with this prob- lem The South cannot afford to take any chances when vital issue of this character threatens to be made para mount. as 1t Is likely to be in the | coming campaign. There has never | been since 1892 as hopeful a prospect | for Democratic success as we have at this time. There has never been a I time since 1892. when the success of the | Democratic Party was so important l and so intimately connected with the l welfare of our own people.
 We do net mean to disparage Mir. | Bryan at all when we assert that the | only hope of success in the national l election is the presentation of a united | party to our opponents. If we can | bring all elements of the national par ty to our support. there is more than | a fair prospect of victory. We do not