The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-17
SAYS DR, VARIANT
 MADE PROMISES King Says Candidate Is Con-
 fused On Issue HAS CHANGED POSITION First He Wanted Ensley Only to Vote, But Now He Adds North Br-
 mingham and Woodlawn
 to List. 6
HAS CHANGED POSITION
To the Editor of The Age-Heraid:

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 Dr. Tarrant has at last answered MT. Shelby's letter by a public statement. l am sure MT. Shelby is disappointed. It required two letters from Dr. Tarrant for the people to find out where he stood on the fee system, and 1t will require at least three to find out his position on Greater Birmingham. A radical change has overcome him since last Friday, when he was perfectly willing to annex all of the towns in the Greater Birmingham bill without an election, except he wanted it left to Ensley to decide whether or not she would come in. In Wednesdays Ledger cr. Tarrant unloads two more towns, North Birmingham and Woodlawn, from the bill, and wants the question of annexation left to these two towns, pre- sumably by separate elections.
 Dr. Tarrant is either lodging the dis cussion or is confused on his position. He does not seem to know that in March of this year the Chamber of Commerce had prepared a Greater Birmingham bill, and the whole situation carefully and fairly discussed as to what territory was to be included in this bill, and had same carefully advertised. This notice con- tained nothing about holding elections, and pr. Tarrant must know his sugges- tions if accepted and allowed to be in- corporated in the bill will raise the ques- tion of the nconstitutionality of the law. The friends of Greater Birmingham can not afford this and 1t must not be done.
 It must be admitted that one of the compelling reasons for assembling the legislature in special session is to re- enact the Greater Birmingham bill. This is a matter of statewide information. The last legislature passed the law; 1t was approved by the governor, and the people at the polls by great popular ma 5ority ratified 1t, but a careless clerk in the senate killed it. This alone has put every friend of Greater Birmingham on guard to watch for every point of at tack. No representative should be elected to the legislature to fight this bill, and l would be untrue to my constituency If I did not expose any danger point
 l learned that Dr. Tarrant had promised Alderman McDowell of the city council of Ensley, and Messrs. Walker, Perkins and Stewart of Ensley that he wanted the Ensley, which meant an amendment to the bill and new matter not provided for in the notice already advertised. Dr. Tarrant if elected would be embarrassed if he voted for the bill and would em- barrass his friends If he voted against it. We cannot take any chances
 I care nothing for Dr. Tarrants per- Ensley proposition submitted to a vote of sonal attack on me. I have been shot at ever since the old bill was advertised in April, 1907. I promised the Commer- cial club I would vote for the Smyer bills, and I carried out my promise. The Commercial club also unanimously in- dorsed the King bill and put powerful committee In Montgomery to back it up. In a wonderful demonstration at the Hip podrome, I saw 1500 people wildly cheer the governor and begged him to sign the bill, and 3496 voters in Greater Birming ham ratified it. My critics cannot say I have not been loyal to Greater Bir- mingham.
 Romaine Boyd, who made the able city attorney for Ensley for seven years, and who made a splendid race for the legis- lature three years ago, has been nomi- mated by the Ensley board of trade on Greater Birmingham platform, including Ensley. He Is a good citizen and will be a useful member of the legislature. It does seem that every voter who wants Greater Birmingham ought to support him. He stands for the bill without any amendments whatever.
 JERE c. KING.
 Birmingham, June 16, 1909