The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-12
TELEGRAMS AND
 LETTERS FLYING TomIinSon Declines Debate Be- cause Bryan Is Safe SMITH WRITES HOT LETTER Accepts Challenge of Selma Bryan Men, Who Offer To Meet the John
 son Speakers On the
 Stump.
SMITH WRITES HOT LETTER

The developments of a day in the John son. Bryan fight in Alabama are many Word comes from Montgomery that big Johnson club has been organized with an executive committee more representative than any political club ever known to the Capitol City.
 Col. John w. Tomlnson has written to Chairman A. G. Smith of the Johnson committee, declining to take part in a joint debate, claiming that the state is absolutely safe for Bryan. MT. Smith has made a warm reply, in which he ques- tions the already hopeless chances of MT. Bryan's election
 Chairman Smith, in an interview, re- flutes the charge being made by certain papers that negro is employed by Gov ernor Johnson in a social capacity, and condemns the publications as islanders that should be restrained from ordinary decency as blaspheming a character that has always been in sympathy with the southern people.
 Preparations are under way to hold joint debates in Selma and several other places. D. M. Galloway, president of the Selma Bryan club, has offered to fur nish speakers, and he has been invited to send them to Birmingham Saturday night.
 Johnson rallies will be held in Birming- ham and Montgomery on Saturday night. Colonel Jesse Stallings will speak here, while Montgomery will furnish her own orator. Word came yesterday from Mo- bile that the Johnson organization is be- ing perfected there and the county is claimed by the Minnesotans friends.
 Democrats all over Alabama have been suddenly aroused to a discussion of the most available candidate, and the friends of Johnson are making what they call a whirlwind campaign. Telegram after tel egram of friendship to the new candidate are blowing into headquarters. Frank s. Moody of Tuscaloosa has written that he believes Johnson can carry the pivotal states.
 Tomlinson Declines To Debate.
 Here is the reply of Colonel Tomlinson to the challenge for debate:
 Birmingham, May Il, 1908. Hon. A. G. Smith, Chairman Johnson
 Campaign Committee, City,
 Dear Sir: Your letter received, and i1 reply l desire to say that in the speeches l have been making over the state 1 have followed the policy being pursued all over this country to harmonize all factions in order that we may win in November Many who voted for Palmer and BuclSnel in 1896 are members of Bryan clubs ir Alabama today. We now have a united party I believe that a joint discussion would tend to drive democrats apart rather than unite them; furthermore, 1t was the sense of the executive committee of the Bryan State Democratic club, which as- sembled here in this city on Friday last, that there should be no joint debates for the reason then expressed that the state is absolutely safe for MT. Bryan and Bryan delegates, and there Is no necessity for further action on the part of Bryan democrats other than the circulation or the address to the democrats of Alabama which was issued by the committee.
 Furthermore I do not feel authorized to take the responsibility of the entire Bryan campaign on my shoulders. You are mistaken when you say that MT. Bry- an has chosen me or any one else to espe- cially represent him. l was elected by the democrats of Alabama to the position of President of the Bryan State Demo- cratic club, and do not feel that l repre- sent MT. Bryan or am any more loyal to him than thousands of other loyal demo- crats who have been fighting through q number of years for the cause for which MT. Bryan stands. Furthermore, l was compelled to forego, having practically the solid indorsement of the press or Ala bama. any further canvass for myself as delegate from the state at large in or der to be at headquarters to attend to my duties as president of the club during the closing days of the campaign, which re- quire all my time and attention. The ad- dress of the Johnson committee and the Bryan committee squarely presents the issue to the democrats of Alabama We have no fear as to the result. MT Bryan needs no boosting. "whrlwind finish is not needed in his behalf. We do not care to argue further. The Johnson people can do as they like, but we rest our case. For the reasons stated herein, I therefore de- cline your offer for a series of joint de- bates.
 I might add that when such papers as the Brooklyn Eagle. the New York Her aid and the Courier-Journal, which have been fighting MT. Bryan's nomination., now concede it-that when the New York Herald is authority for the statement that the New York delegation is solidly for Mr. Bryan-it seems to me that it is use less to fight his nomination further, and that in doing so it will only weaken his election, especially when the class of lit erature which is being distributed in this state and all over the United States against him by the Chica0o Johnson com- mittee is exactly the kind of matter with which the republican papers all over this country are filled today.
 However, as I have stated, the friends of MT. Johnson have perfect right to boost their man to the fullest extent l did not express satisfaction at his name going on the ticket in the sense used in your letter. but intended to convey the idea that Bryan democrats had no re- sentiment on account thereof. Yours very truly, JOHN w. TOMLlNSON, President Bryan State Democratic Club.
 Smiths Reply To Tomlnson.
 This is MT. Smiths reply:
 May II, 1908. Hon. John w. Tomlinson, President Bry- an State Democratic Organization, city.
 My Dear Sr:-Replying to your esteem cd favor of the 11th inst. we regret ex- ceedingly that you have declined our in- yitation to joint discussions upon the evasive and groundless plea that such discussions would hurt MT. Bryan's chances for election. If friendly argu- ments over the facts involved in this con test between democrats all desirous of democratic victory in November would lessen the already hopeless chances of MT. Bryan's election, we should make certain the nomination of some other man whose chances of victory are more robust