The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-11-10
"A DESPERATE sAonrrIcr.

DESPERATE eACn1r1cB. The Governors statement in which he puts aside his political ambition for the time being is wall of despair. A desperate situation caiild for des- perate remedies. Facing certain de- feat the amsnders held the Governor responsible for part of their political ills: to save something from the wreck of the storm that bore down on him and his political allies. the Governor adjured his political ambitions for the present. He must have passed through bitter experience to screw his cour- age to the sticking point for the sac- rifice.
 It would be ridiculous to deny that the present State administration more than any other that ever served the state. has used its resources to build a machine about one man. a recognized candidate for Senator. Any man that knows anything about Alabama poIi- tics knows that.
 When the Governor Issued his call for an extra session of the Legisla- ture 1t contained significant para graph. calling for the passage of a bin amending the Constitution so that sessions of the Alabama Legislature should be biennial instead of quad rennisi. The passage by the Legis- lature and the adoption of this amend ment would have removed a constitu- tionai objection obstacle to the Gov ernor's path to candidacy of the United States Senate. No man famii- lar. at all with the work of the last Legislature will doubt that the Gov ernor through his political iieuten- ants and at times by personal ~solici- tation iobbied to get that bill through the Legislature. But syen the Legis- iature baked at it.
 For months previous to the, assemb- ling of the extra session of the Legis- lature the Governor was discussed in every hamlet and at every crossroads as a certain candidate for the United States Senate. The public press was full of his candidacy and the means that were used to further it. Such was the condition when the call was made for the extra session of the Legislature. If the Governor of Alabama had said at that time: T am in no sense /, candidate for the United States Senate or any other high office" political sensation would have ensued. And the proposed amendment to the Con- stitutfon would not be in It's present, desperate condition. But he did not say. 1t. 1' He waited to say it until it was too lote.
 The Governor says in his statement of Monday:
 The amendment h not an adminis- l tration measure. It is not Conner or the Conner administration that is on trial"
 This will come with shock to those who have heaHd the Governors countless campaign speeches on the arnsnamsntz aThs people, oee- clanton will be surprised.'a They heard him say: :.
 Amy man who deserts me now is cowardly skunk"
 The people who heard him plead for support at this crisis will be surprised at this statement. Those who heard him say; Stand by me now. You are npt going to- desert me now" those who heard him argue to every supporter of the administration that because of him they should support the amendment will be at a loss to un- derstand that part of his statement.
 What is the matter? Only this--the amendment is beaten. One heroic rem edy after another Is being applied. but the amendment is beaten.
 It must have been humiliating for the Governor to pledge himself not to call the Legislature together again in extra session. It was not so long ago that on various stumps he declared: T will call the Legislature together. and will call it together again and again" The chastened pledge of the Governor that he will do so no more, Is partial repudiation of the acts of which he was once so proud.
 But the amendment can not be sav- ed.