The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-18
THE rusxEGEn NEWS ERurTroN.

grey matter on The News editorial col
umns
Its last Issue. however. develops a
spasm Of editorial energy. Its leader
Is a severe arraignment of The Adver-
tiser. SO severe that, frankly. We doubt
Its emanation from the pen of The,
News mild and diplomatic ed
itor. The article appears on
this page. 1t will be seen that 1t is
thick -and-thin defense Of Governor
Conner as a martyr at the hands Of The
Advertiser. 1t is apparently the first
fruits Of the political harvest the Gov
ernor is expecting to reap In his new
prohibition crusade.
The excuse for The News outburst
is sudden indignation over the car
toons of the Governor in The Adver-
tiser. They have been going on for
several years. and those appearing lat
terly have been even more humorous
and less cutting than those earlier in
his administration. Nevertheless. The
News wakes up and calls them out
RACES" What pity The News hasn't
had the time to read the big papers
of the East and West. and to see their
cartoons on public men from Roose-
welt down. II 1t had done this. SO as
to be really informed, 1t would regard
The Advertisers cartoons by compar-
ison as sweet compliments Our con-
temporary's belated indignation in this
matter is absurd.
The News proceeds to enunciate a
new sort of doctrine for the American
press. 1t sets up a Governor as a kind
Of demigod before whom it is the duty
of every citizen to fall down and wor-
ship. One would think Governor CO.
mer was Emperor William. and that
The Advertiser had committed lese-
majesty. This sort of hero-worship
may suit The News. but 1t is alto
the bulk of the great newspapers Of
this country, and II Is. es-
pecially out Of line with that
of most of the Alabama
papers. Nor is 1t in harmony with
the view of thousands of average vot-
changed their mind about Governor
Conner. have rued the day they voted
for him in the primary and have freely
confessed their blunder.
The News admits that Governor Co
mer may be in error on some Illness
that his championship of certain is
sues may have been In too bitter tenn
per-" but nevertheless 1t insists that
he Is a great and good man, who has
tried to serve all the people; that he
has tried to be useful
Governor, that he has dared for the
right In the face of bitter opposition,
that such is the Judgment of every
man who has fairly and intelligentiy
followed his Efforts
Now The Advertiser dares dissent
from the substance OF this estimate. Our
Judgment Is that Governor Corners
prime purpose from the day he entered
Alabama politics has been to serve his
own political ends. Whatever he has
tried to do for the dear people has
been a matter of cold calculation.
merely as incidental means to serve
his political ambition.
He seized on the weak spots
OF the railroads. appealed to
the prejudices of the country
merchant and the farmer. pomised
them all sorts of lower rates, and
thereby boosted himself into the Pres
idency of the Railroad Commission.
Ambition No. / gatifed.
In that Office he accomplished
nothing. but agitated and fur
Their stirred UP passion and begged
the people to give him straightway an
other high office. He went all over the
State, roasting all his predecessors and
all the legislatures, and making the
widest promises as to what he would
do as Governor. Ambition No. 2 was
gratifled.
Since he has been in that ONCE
he has had the sympathetic Legislature
he asked for. and has gotten passed
virtually all the measures he wanted.
Few of these have accomplished any
thing for the people. Railroad rates
have remained practically the same.
Finding this agitation a bad political
investment because of the industrial
paralysis resulting. he compromised
with all of the willing railroads for
very little of what he had promised
the people. and has tried very hard to
compromise with the unwilling ones.
who have stood out for their legal
| rights.
Today his call for the extra
session of the Legislature, with its
multitude of subjects for consideration,
shows that he Is again playing poll
tics. Not having been able to redeem
his wild promises to the people as
Governor he is pursuing his familiar
tactics of agitating new issues. He
has been busy for year tramping over
the State making so-called speeches in
the interest of education. Now he
takes up constitutional amendments.
compulsory education and prohibition.
He will make the welkin ring until
another election on the prospective
amendments, with more self-praise and
promises to the dear people. And be-
hind it all is Ambition No. 3. to be
United States Senator.
The News is right in one respect
Governor Conner has dared. No pred
ecessor has equalled him in audacity.