The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-06
ALABAMA IS CENTER
 OF JOHNSON FIGHT
All Eyes Are Watching DeveI-
 opmentS Here
SPEAKING BEGINS TODAY
Meetings Will Be Held At Bessemer and Ensley and Tomorrow Night Big Rally Will Be Held
 In Montgomery.

The national fight for Gov. John A. Johnson of Minnesota for president ap- pears to be centering in Alabama. AL thought but two weeks remain before the primary, and the campaign is just begun, the eyes of the country are turned toward the fight in this state. Recogniz' ing the enormous task of uprooting the Bryan foundations which Colonel Tom linson has been building for many months, the headquarters committee, A. G. Smith, chairman, has decided upon d short, swift, spicy campaign.
 Beginning at Bessemer today. party of speakers will tour the state, making grand finish at Mobile. The speaking at Reble hall in Bessemer will begin at 12:30 o'clock, when the address of P. o. Stromme of Minnesota, "a Bryan man. will be the greatest feature. For mer Congressman Sidney J. Bowie, Walker Percy and Jesse Stallings, as well as a number of Bessemer citizens will make talks.
 Tonight the party goes to Ensley, where speeches will be made in the city hall. Thursday there will be a grand open ing in Montgomery, which will also be a rally of Johnson men from all parts of the state. Friday night MT. Stromme and party will return to Birmingham and hold meeting in the Jefferson theatre.
 MT. Stromme arrived yesterday after noon. He is a man of strong personality, i speaking he says as a Bryan man for "a man who if nominated will set the | xtfitI 11Gia crD and Johnson stand on most questions alike, though Johnson may be little more conservative He does not believe in burning the barn to get rid of the rats. 1 do not believe they have been successful in revising the decalogue to read, Thou shalt have no other candidate but Bryan It looks too much like the dog in the manger."
 B. M. Allen has been requested to make several speeches.
 "As one of the few men of this district having personal acquaintance with Gov ernor Johnson,' he said, T feel that am safe in calling him the man who stands the best change of carrying dem- ocracy to victory, not only by his pecu- liar position as the most popular man in republican northwest, not only because he is a character that best answers the needs of the country at this crisis, but because of his great magnetism and won- derful vote getting charm
 Democracy wants winner The demo- | crat who is not seeking office and is only interested in his party's success is | not looking for the man who perhaps deserves honor for his advanced ideas but for tie man who can reflect the great CT honor on his party by victory in the next election.
 q met Johnson at St. Paul and found him one of the most attractive of men, l am acquainted with many men who
 know him personally and all of them speak of him in the highest terms ''Of course in states where the vote is close a man who is popular with both | factions will be more available than one who possesses less magnetism. MT. John | son stands closer to the masses of people 1 in the doubtful states than any other l available man. One of the best evidences 1 of his popularity Is the fact that he car ried a republican state by a majority | of 72,00O
 '1rhe democrats have been voting for | MT. Bryan for so long that they have q | right to vote for some other candidate | if they think he stands a better chance of winnings. We have all been cheerful l. losers for a long while and would like | to get onto a winner once in a while"