The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-25

the State In heated three months campaign on the amendment to place the Legislature refused to pass the biennial sessions amendment, and thus open the way for Governor Conner to run for the United States Senate. On the other hand by passing the Jury Commission bill the Legislature gave the Governor the opportunity of ap- pointing three jury commissioners in each county and thus build up an ef- fective political machine.
 Changes in the gubernatorial situ- ation came thick and fast. Hon. H. S. D. Mallory, most prominent in the eye of the public as a gubernatorial can didate came to the rescue of the con- stitutional amendment when 1t was hitched in the Senate with every pros pect for It's defeat. As e result of his timely aid he will receive the support for Governor of most of the prohibf- ton leaders in the State. On the oth- CT hand he will probably lose num- Der of the local optionists of the State.
 Judge Weakley, it was figured when the Legislature met would be greatly strengthened by the extra session. as "a candidate for Governor. It was ex- pected that the prohibition legislation. the bills for which he wrote, would increase his prestige. Developments, however, did not meet all the expecta- a- tions of Judge Weakley's friends. The Help us, or we sink call" sent to the Mallory men by the leading prohibi- tionists and~their prompt response lin- ed up many of the strongest officials of the Anti-Saloon League with the Mallory men.
 But Governor Conner has never fav- ored the candidacy of MT. Mallory. It Is an open secret that he has asked Judge Weakley to make the race and that in all probability Judge Weakley will be a candidate. When this situa- ton developed, officials of the Anti Saloon League hastened to the news paper and gave out an interview in which they declared that the Antf-Sa- . loon League would not tie Itself to any candidate, no rwould 1t, as body take any personal interest in the candidacy of any one man. Judge Weakley has been the attorney for and closely as- sociated with the league in It's work. These interviews were taken by the politically informed to mean that the Anti-SaIoon League did not want 1t to go out over the State that 1t was be- hind Judge weakley and that he was the candidate of the league.
 Tn the meanwhile State Treasurer Walter D. Seed is making his canvass for the. gubernatorial nomination as a prohibitionist. He will deliver a num- Der of speeches in favor of the amend ment.
 The call for a conference by num- Der of the most distinguished citizens of Alabama to be held In Montgomery to oppose constitutional prohibition came as a distinct surprise to the lead ing prohibitionists. They were aston ished that men of such character were enlisting in the movement to defeat 1t. On top of this, disquieting rumors come to them of the sentiment in the rural counties. Where they had expected an overwhelming sentiment for the amendment, they have heard that sem timent was against it. On the other hand they have been satisfied with re- ports from other communities and they believe that when the pressure is brought to bear, that existing senti- ment will change and the amendment will be adopted.
 On the other hand the opponents of the amendment are delighted with the situation as 1t exists. They say that the amendment right now Is beaten and that the sentiment against 1t will! continue to grow. A leader in tho movement against the amendment said in four weeks 1t would be a foregone conclusion in Alabama that the amend ment was beaten.
 Between the two claims the con- servative view may be taken that the amendment is going to be the center of