The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-05
lGOVERNOR ON HE DEFENSIVE Takes Stump Against
 Assault n INTERVIEW TELLS PLANS 1erognizes Fight of Safe and Sane l League.
  ksague Leader Declares That Fight on ahe sezasA Politics which Sprung
 Anendnent Issue VIII
 Be Maintained,

5# 40yeruor B. B. Conner, In an inter- v1ew given The Montgomery Times yesterday, announced in effect that his continuance upon the stump in the present campaign depended upon the attitude of the Safe and Sane League and that if attacks were continued on his administration he would continue on the stump.
 Leon McCord organizer and secre- tary of the Safe and Sane League. said when shown the Governors interview that the fight of the organization was made because the proposed amendment was politics, pure and simple. and that the criticism of the present administra- tion would continue to be an import ant feature of the campaign.
 we are making no fight on B. B. Conner, personally. but we are fighting B. B. Conner, Governor and political leader" said MT. McCord. We are fighting the cold and selfish politics which forced the present fight on the people of Alabama. We are hghting hysterical legislation. We are fighting the reckless administration of State affairs. We are fighting agitation. recklessness and hysteria in public life. And when we fight these we fight the AOtHlul1tEAliOn OL 1ONCthOk S~uAOA . IT he says he will continue on the stump If we continue to criticize his administration. he had better arrange with his private secretary to attend to the business of the office of Governor for the next three monuths.
 The Times,s interview says:
 when asked what would be his poll ley in regard to the fight which is be- ing made to carry the election in fa- for of the amendment. and whether or not 1t was his purpose to enter upon an extensive canvass of the State. the Governor replied that this would de- pend largely upon the attitude of the opposite side, particularly the course Of the Safe and Sane League.
 e The Safe and Sane League said 4he Governor, has injected a great deal Of the personal element in the fight. and, so long as they pursue this pol icy. should consider myself a coward fl did not go soefore the people and show them that the fight against my administration. that the light against fhe Legislature, that the fight against any or all of the general laws. Is sim- ply to becioud the issue.
 q The only question before the peo- ple ia whether or not they will adopt the amendment to the constitution, Hwhich amendment simply says that liini1or, of any kind, cannot be manu- xactured or sold in the State. and that fhe amendment simply means that au- 4horfzed license in this State cannot be issued again without a referendum to she people. Tn other words. major aty of the voters of the State would have to be in favor of liquor before 1t could be again licensed and sold. -4The State has planted a great pro- hfbition crop. It has, as l understand, the best prohibition laws of any State in the Union, and the effect on our citizenship can but be good.
 ".The amendment to the constitu- ton is simply a fence around those laws. simply that there can be no breaking into the prohibition crop. and destroying 1t without all the people being made aware of 1t and a majority approving It.
 '.Goyernor Conner laughingly referred to some press reports in regard to his speeches, saying that certain reporters had, by transposition of words. suc- ceeded in making many of his remarks sound a little ludicrous, since only parts of his address was quoted"
 On reading the interview, Secretary McCord said:
 "The Governor has been out among the people. He sees the storm cloud that is rising on the political horizon Two weeks ago Leon McCord and the Safe and Sane League were too insig- nifcant for him to notice. He had nothing to say in reply to the League and its officers, for he took the position that they amounted to nothing. But he has heard things since then. He may not know 1t, tout the membership of the League numbers more than S0.' 900 voters and we have not made a full canvass of the State. But the Governor does know that the people are stirred on this thing. The Governor may have been a failure when 1t came to managing the States finances, but he is no slouch as a politician. He hears the ground swell, and he says in erect, "You let me alone and I'll let you alone"
 'Bue we are fighting politics; we are lighting recklessness and we are fight ing mismanagement. For no othel reason. except politics. the people were thrown In the strife and turmoil of this fight. And we propose tC turn the politics inside and out. so that the people can see what Is in them.