The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-03
Montgomery Advertiser and Mo- bic Register Urge His
 ton As. Governor of SI
BOTH SPEAK IN HIGH
 TRIMS 0F OTHER MIN
Personificntion of Protest t jOrity of Alal
 Against R4

Montgomery. February 2.-tspe
 The Advertiser editorially will Sd
 morrow:
 "The contest for the democratic
 ination for governor seems to be cl # at last. There arc four canadian
 field and 1t seems most probable
 there will be no more. The fou
 Messrs. Charles Henderson of Troy,
 D. Mallory of Selma, Emmet ON
 Florence and W. D. Seed of Tuscal'
 Frankly. the Advertiser had hope
 there would be other entries. It ,ouitf have liked to have seen in the race either Senator Frank s. Moody of Tusca- loosa or Senator Robert E. Spragins of Huntsville. Because it believed that either of them came nearer personifying, in his recent Legislative record, the att titude of the majority of conservative democrats upon the issues which have been uppermost in the public mind in the past few years. But neither of these gentlemen, no matter how available, has seen fit to respond to the pressure of his friends, and. of course, their personal WlSneS govern III the matter.
 ''The four candidates in the field are all excellent men, above the average in ability and character, and any one of them would very probably make con servative, acceptable executive. Under these circumstances it Is to be expected that the state will have d dignifed. clean campaign. with a minimum of bitterness fT,aa democratic party certainly need q more restful period than they have experienced during the last few years. and it is to be hoped that these gentlemen will not only promise that, but they will so con duct their campaigns as to give the peo- pie an assurance of that result, no mat ter who sucseds.
 "It will be naturally asked how the Advertiser stands in this contest ana whom it will support. This is to be ex- pected, and the Advertiser will be frank about it. It will. accordingly, review in brief the candidates, as it sees them and their relations to public questions as 1t understands them.
 MT. Henderson has been president of the railroad commission during Cover nor Comer's regime and it must be ad- mitted. largely by Governor Corners grace. He has taken q prominent part in all the railroad litigation, and while less radical than Governor Conner. has nevertheless co-operated with his leader in his undertakings in that matter to a large extent. When it came to the ex- tra session of the legislature and the gov ernor's fight for all the extreme prohibi- ton measures, MT. Henderson parted com pany with hls chief. MT. Henderson op- posed the amendment and today an- nounces a willingness to be convinced by experience that the prohibition laws are not practicable. Ills statement as . whole does not make it clear that he has broken completely with Governor Co., mer. Rather does it appear that he seeks such high, judicial ground as to be fa- vored by Governor Conner and his op- ponents. This is an impossible attitude at this juncture, and inasmueh as he has been very closely associated with the present administration, the break with 1t is not so distinct as it should be. it may develop later. but at present it looks as if Governor Conner would prefer MT Hem derson as the least objectionable of the candidates. The governors support may be valuable, but it does not look like q good political investment at present.
 
 man, democrat whose record for the most part has been conservative. and he has most amiable, lovable personality. year ago the Advertiser expected to have the pleasure of supporting him, but unfortunately he broke his conser. vative record by taking a leading part in precipitating the recent lamentabla amendment campaign. In that cam paign, too, while he was far less bitter tI.o lF { Ia. la he was at times rather radical in his utterances. He lost his head in that period in greater degree than ever be- fore in his life. and far more than waa to have been expected of man of hia judicial temperament. Doubtless he had bad political advice. but nevertheless he made bad political investment and the Advertiser does not think he de- serves the reward of the governorship for his mistake.
 MT. Seed is state treasurer. and to q certain extent has been in the Conner administration. though not so much of it. At times he has courageously op- posed some of its extremes. But he was quite active in the prohibition cam paign. subscribed literally to the cause, and he spoke for it. He is a pure, high minded man. but he is not as well fitted for or as deserving of the governorship as MT. Mallory, who represents much the same views.
 MT. O'Neal is a gentleman by birth and raising, and a lawyer of consider able attainment. He is son of Hon. F. A. O'Neal. who was governor of the state from 1884 to 1888, and who made an excellent executive. MT. O'Neal took a very active and aggressive part in the recent campaign against the amend ment. and made an enviable reputation throughout the state by his strong de- bates and forcible presentation of his cause. He is a conservative man in polt- tcal matters. and has the confidence of all who know him as a sincere, honest man. He has issued a statement that Is broad. conservative, sane and sensi- ble. Take him all in all he more com pletely personifies the protest of the majority of Alabama democrats against