The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-20
IN HOTEL HOBBIES.
The GubernatortaI Campaign

'I attended the ONea1 meeting at the Jefferson theatre Thursday night and was moro than pleased with the speeches. said an old democrat. T rarely ever heard so many earnest, sensible addresses on any political occasion.
 Some of the speakers-notably MT. Rogers and Colonel O'Neal-were at once eloquent, clear and convincing, and all 'of them were logical and patriotic AS MT. Weatherly said at the outset of the meeting, this gubernatorial campaign IS but Q continuation of the amendment campaign.
 "The sane, conservative people of Ala bama rose in their might and defeated the proposed amendment which sought 10 write prohibition in the constitution ana which threatened the sanetity Of the hone. The defenders of the constitution must, if they would be at all consistent follow up the fruits of their victory by casting a big majority for Emmet O'Neal, the candidate for governor who led the fight against the amendment; and they must vote for candidates for the legis- lature who opposed the amendment and who favor a modification of the drastic prohibition laws.
 "Ihe result Of no political contest was so directly helpful to Alabama in large moral as well as material sense as that recorded on November 29. A majority of upward of 27,C00 against the amendment was conclusive evidence that the heart Of Alabama was sound. It indicated to the 7a hot Fa not to gain permanent hold here, and that po- lisical tyranny, which was like heel of iron on the uecks of the people, was com ing to an end.
 '"The logic of the situation is plain. The men who won the battle for personal lib- erty end the constitution must give Ala bana a patriotic, conservative and busi- ness-lilxe administration and a conserva- tive legislature. the majority of whose members will be political friends of O'Ncal, but will wear no mans collar and will be absolutely immune from hysteria. The people can be trusted to do the right thing on May 2. just as they did on Mo- vember 29.
 "Hnre and there we find a man of some prominence who did service in the defend- CTS cause last fall but who for personal reasons are now supporting for the gover- norship Colonel Mallory, the candidate who, when the obnoxious amendment bill was about to fail in the senate, came to tho rescue of the Anti-Saloon league and secured for 1t the requisite votes. Colonel Mallory enjoys the reputation of being an excellent lawyer. I know him to be a gentleman. But weak-kneed politi- clan who helped to plunge Alabama into turbulent campaign in the interest of a faction whose triumph would have thrown the state back four years or more, Is cer- tainly not a man for governor.
 "O'Neal is a good lawyer, simon pure democrat, a student of political science and a public man of splendid poise. He will be nominated at the pri- mary, and I would be willing to bet that his majority over Mallory will exceed 30,00O. No, 3O,t0o is not an excessive es- timate. There will be an unusually heavy vote. Thousands upon thousands who were disqualified last fall have paid their poll tax since then. and it is believed that 90 per cent of those voters will cast their ballots for C'Neal."