The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-23
THREE MEN WANT To
co TO CONGRESS
Georgia State Senator's Aspire
to Higher HOnOrs
OTHERS MAY ENTER RACE
Only One Charge Against Commits
sioner McLendon May Have Any
Force and That Is His Trans
actions in Railway Bonds.
OTHERS MAY ENTER RACE

Atlanta, July 2.-(special) AT least
three members of the present state SEN
ate are said to be grooming for con-
gressional honors, according to the polt-
ical representations of their friends
Senator j. D. Price of Pennington, rep
resenting the Twenty-seventh district, 1t
is said, is anxious for a mix-up with
Congressman w H. Howard, who has
represented the Eighth district for a good
| many terms. He is wealthy Oeonee
county farmer and has besides a strong
following. Congressman Howard is pop
ular in the district and a fight between
them would prove interesting.
Senator Tom Mcdowell of the Ninth
district, 1t is stated, is after the scalp of
/ Congressman James NJ Griggs, down in
the Second. He has the reputation of be-
| ing good campaigner and he has about
decided to try to overcome the popularity
| Congressman Griggs has acquired by
sending out garden seed and establish
| ing new rural routes.
It is pretty well settled that President
John H. Slston of the state senate will
contest the congressional seat from the
| Fifth with Col. L. F. Livingston, who
has held onto 1t in all kinds of weather
for some years now. Solicitor General
| William Schley Howard of the Stone
Mountain circuit, has also decided to
enter the fight. They are going to en-
| deayor to make 1t warm for the colonel.
Present indications point to contests in
! many of the districts. There is a three
cornered race on in the Seventh, where
| Congressman Gordon Lee has decided
| not to run. The candidates are Repre-
sentatives NJ. L. Johnson of Barlow, g..
R. Hutchens of Polk and Judge Moses
Wright of Rome. That Is they Will be
candidates when the time comes, and
their friends understand they are now.
1t is also possible Hon. S. p Maddox
of Dalton may get into this race and 1t
is known that Judge A. w. Fite Of
Gainesville would like to run.
Over in the Tenth C. R. Eve of Angus
ia has announced that he will contest
honors with Congressman r. w. Hard
wick
Commissioner of Agriculture T. G. Hud-
son will make the fight of his life to
wrest the congressional seat from the
Third from Congressman Dudley M.
Hughes of Twiggs. He has not formally
announced this purpose, but he does not
deny it when anybody asks him about 1t.
Judge ]. J. Flynt of Griffin and Solicit
tor General o. H. P. Bloodworth Of
Forsyth county are going after Congress-
man c. L. Bartlett's seat In the Sixth.
and Milledgeville may also furnish can
didate
There is desultory talk of opposition in
the First, Fourth and Ninth districts, but
| little has been heard from the Eleventh,
| where Congressman w. G. Brantley seems
to hold on as with an iron grip.
McLendon's Case.
! Since the admission of Chairman S. G..
| McLendon, the suspended member of the
railroad commission, that he enjoyed
! profits to the extent of some $500 as the
! result of transactions In the bonds of the
Athens Street Railway company, his
warmest friends have been in some doubt
| as to the outcome of his case, report upon
which will be made to the general as
sembly by the joint investigating COM
| mittee some time this week.
1t has all along been generally conceded
that eliminating the question of possible
J profits to the chairman arising from this
transaction, there was nothing in the case
against him which would Justify the legs-
| lature in removing him from his posi-
| ton.
| His admission as to receiving profits
| from these bond transactions appears, to
/ have put a different aspect on the case.
even though his action may have been
! within the law, particularly so in the face
| of his statement that if he had had the
making of the law he would have prohib-
! tied a railroad commissioner from dealing
| in any securities of any company or cor
| poration which comes under the railroad
commissions Jurisdiction.
| ut looks bad" is the best that some of
those who have been holding that he was
| prosecuted can now say of the situa-
! ton.
! Still it is understood his staunch friends
| in the house propose to make a strong
| fight in his behalf
| If anything comes of it, If Chairman
| McLendon should be removed from office
by the legislature, it will not be because
he voted against the so-called port rate
| petition, nor because he was against
! fighting the western rate increases be-
| fore the interstate commerce commission,
! which were the chief indictments sent to
the general assembly by former Gov.
| Hoke Smith.
1t will be because Chairman McLendon
admitted he dealt in bonds Of the Athens
street Railway company and made a
| profit of $500 out OF the deal.
| Whether Chairman McLendon was with
In the law or not in engaging in these
transactions, and even though he did un-
dertake these deals for the purpose stat
ed-that of endeavoring to bring foreign
capital into Georgia at a time when 1t
was being charged that Governor Smith S
policies were driving 1t out-the fact that
he did make profit by selling securities
of corporation over which the commits
sion has jurisdiction, will furnish Gov
ernor Smiths friends with an excuse, all
the excuse they want, for voting to re-
move him.
There is no doubt of the fact that many
even OF Governor Smiths friends, would
nave voted against removing the chair
man on Governor Smiths charges alone
The tertimony showed that they amount
ed to practically nothing.
The bond transaction and the chairman's
admission that he made a profit out o.
the deal is all there is or ever was in thu
case against him.
Married at Tuscumbia.
Tuscumba, July 22.-(Special. miss
| L.