The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-01
GOVERNOR Conner
HAS BEEN SHORN
OF FORMER POWER
Defeat of Amendment Means
Change of Political Line
Up In Alabama
BELIEF Is THAT WEAkLEY
WILL NEVER RISE AGAIN
Mallory and Carmichael Were Hurt
While Henderson, Bowie and Nc
Cord Are In LimelIght-News
Of Montgomery.
By HERvEY w. LAIRD.

Montgomery, November 80.-(Special y
For the first time since he led the fight
for rate regulation and became the nom
inee of the democracy of the state for
president of the railroad commission Gov.
B. B. Conner on Monday felt the iron of
defeat enter his soul and was forced to
bow to the will of men he had seen in
his own power for much of the past i've
or six years. He cannot escape the re-
sponsibiity of the movement for consti-
tutional- prohibition. his being the only
authority for an extra session of the leg
islature, without which there could have
been no such submission of the PROPOSE
ton.
Governor Conner has lost much more,
however, than the newest idea OF the
anti-liquor forces. He has lost his lead
ership in state politics. This is un-
disputed fact With only year left in
office and a blow of this kind, he will
have lots of hard work to do to keep out
of embarrassing situations. Thus shorn,
and with little left in the way of patron
age, 1t will be only the real and true
friends that he has who will stand by
him. These he will soon be able to recog-
nize. And with these it will be possible
for him to render the state yet good serv-
ice. There is much that resourceful
man may do in year and Governor Co
mer has resources. Even those who are
Indifferent will hope to see him accept
that line of advice that will give him
going out in peace and the state a service.
But There Are Others.
But Conner is not all. Judge S. d.
Weakley. who has bartered his patrimony
of state following for a breath of pass
ing fancy, is out of it. No power on
earth, seen from this end, can recover
for him any part of his lost prestige.
He might have been chief justice for the
asking. But the call of the ambition
bug" ran him into more complicated
places and has left him stranded upon
the shores of the has beens." Even his
best friends must admit this. No one in
this section believes that he will remain
in the race for governor or that he will
ever reach again any eminence in the
states service.
And the same thing is so of Col III. s.
D. Mallory in the opinion Of good seers
of public feeling Mallory made 1t pos
sible to bring on the fight by his support
of the bill for submitting the amendment
in the legislature. He will be lucky II
the result has not carried him to tho
realms of political oblivion. And 1t Is not
certain that Archie Carmichael, speaker
of the house, and author of many pro-
hibition bills, has not drawn great wall
of public disapproval between him and
the suffrage of the people. He is not of
the Weakley kind in radicalism, but went
far enough to get himself classed up with
the activities that received so hard a
blow in the balloting of Monday.
Coming Into the Light.
On the other hand, there were others
brought into the limelight who may be
luminous enough to hold the center of the
stage until election day. Charley Hen
derson and s. ]. Bowie are talked of for
the next governor. Henderson is an orig
inal Conner man, with him in all the rail-
road legislation, but left him when he
espoused the amendment cause. Next
to Frank s. Moody of Tuscaloosa. He,
along with Senator Spragins of Madison
have been talked of for the incoming
leadership Moody cannot make the race.
He is not physically able to do So Bowie.
having had a round at politics, is not
thought to lean that way
Then there Is Leon McCord, secretary
of the safe and sane movement. Already
1t is talked that he is to make the race
for attorney general, IL not for the legis-
lature in Montgomery county. Whatever
may be said of the result 1t must be
conceded that MoCord laid the ground
work for the victory that the ants are
harvesting He is entitled to reward,
speaking In the belief that laborers are
always worthy of their hire. Neither he
nor his friends are going to agree that
what he received in the way of wage is
sufficient for the service rendered. He