The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-02-05
DEFEAT IS URGED
FOR congressman
Governor Hoke Smith Is Said to
Favor New Move
AFTER THE STATE OFFICES
Several Candidates Have Announced
For Each One of the Offices and
Lively Time Is Expected
When Campaign Opens.


When Campaign Opens.
Atlanta, February -(speeial)-Polti-
cal gossip around the capitol had it that
word has gone out from administration
circles To the effect that Congressman
C. G. Edwards of the First and Congess-
man James L. Griggs of the Second must
be defeated.
Likewise defeat is being urged, it is
stated, for Adamson of the Fourth and
Livingston of the Fifth, while it is un-
derstood every possible effort IS being
made to get out opposition TO Congress-
man Brantley of the Eleventh. despite the
reported understanding not long since
that Brantley would be unopposed.
Whatever influences the administration
can bring to bear in opposing these can
didates who are politically distastefu1 to
il. it is generally understood will not be
lacking.
That the administration is back of the
congressional aspiration of Senator kinch
OverstFeet from Screven, who is oppos-
ing Edwards in the First, seems TO be
was not only active in his support of the
governor but was looked upon much as
the personal representative of the admin
istration in the state senate. For these
reasons more interest seems at present
to attach to the situation in the FIRST
than in any other district.
For a time the situation in the Second
district held the boards, Judge S. A.
Roddenberry OF Townsville, Congress
N,.far bDi1 IL
known administration leader, but with
the conclusion of the joint debates II fell
somewhat into the background, though
ii is we'll known that efforts there have
not been relaxed.
So far Ed McMichael of Marion is the
only candidate mentioned against Judge
Adamson in the Fourth, and it is under
stood he counts on the administration
backing in case he should definitely de-
eide to make the race.
1t is generally understood that City Al
torney James j. Mayson of Atlanta, who
has announced against Congressman Liv-
ingston of the Fifth, has strong follow
ing within administration circles, and
that he will look in that direction for
moral, If not actual, support, can scarce
~ be doubted.
against Brantley in the Eleventh have
proven, somewhat abortive, but the under
standing around the capital is that these
efforts have in no sense ceased.
After Warner Hill.
That the administration would like to
accomplish the defeat of Railroad Com
missioner H. Warner HILL who will be
candidate for reelection, is not questioned
in political circles.
1t will be recalled that perhaps the
severest personal attack that was made
on the governor during his campaign was
| made by Mr.. Hill over his signature, and
in it he made some statements that went
considerably further than those of any
| of the opposing candidates on thestumc
AS a result of this, it is said Though
| the offices of the governor and Mr.. Hill
| in the capitol are scarcely 100 feet apart,
! they have never spoken to one another
! since the governors entrance into the
| executive office. All of the members of
the commission, with the exception Of Mr..
| Fill, have been callers at the governors
| office from time to time since his inau-
| guration.
| The general understanding is that effort
will be made to bring out opposition to
! Commissioner Hill, and if this is done
! it will furnish, by all odds, the political
| contest of the year. So far the opposition
! has not appeared, and there is consider
| able speculation as to whether any move
|
| full.
If Mr. Hill should be reelection it
would not only be viewed a personal
| success, but would be looked upon in the
! light of a vindication of the old railroad
commission of which he was a member
and with whose policies the administra-
ton took such active issue
Brown Will Make Fight.
In this connection it is learned that
| former Railroad Commissioner Joseph NJ
| Brown, who was suspended by the gov
! ernor about six weeks before the expira-
| ton of his term, will make a determined
and persistent fight before the Legislature
| this summer against such summary re-
moval.
The amount of salary involved is small,
and, it is stated that this is not in any
sense an actuatng motive But it is said
Mr.. Brown proposes to whether the
| legislature will approve the manner in
which he was removed, especially in view
Of the fact that the first and severes;
criticism of Mr. Brown was made for nor
doing one Of the gerry tninss which the
| present railroad commission has likewise
| failed to do-namely, enact the port ties
which were subsequently made part OF
the Macon platform
There has been much amusement over
the fact that Commissioner Brown is
now defending the new railroad commits
sion for not taking that step, or in other
words for not doing the thing which may
be said to have led L. mis- being ki:sed
out of office In a recent pu1'ic letter
Mr.. Brown showed where. in his opinion
the new railroad commission was iSh,
in letting alone the port rate proposition
which, by the way, is said to nave tecn
put ON the indefinite postponement shelf
1t is said that Mr.. Brown will be rer
resented by able 60 aajel anI That is
contest will be on OF the most ialeres ting
and stirring even 5 OF Tie COMING SEES
sion.
just what reasons the Governor will
lay before the general assembly for his
suspension of Mr.. Brown, he has not
made public, but they are supposed tC
have had some connection with a pamph
let which Mr.. Brown issued last summer
In which he defended the reductions mad,