The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-03
MIR. SPRhG..NS WILL NIT RUl AND RACE
 |S ON IN EARNEST Now Seems to Be O'Neal Against the Field in the
 Race For Governor
FLORENTIAN'S FRIENDS
 HOLD CONFERENCE HERE
Orleans in Which He Predicts the Election of O'NeaI in
 Alabama

R. E. Spragins that he will not make the race for governor.
 Several friends of Mir Spragins yester- day received letters from him stating that he had decided not to run This closes the entries, all other probable candidates having previously refused to be consld- cred.
 Emmet O'Neal. H. g. D. Mallory, Wal ter D. Seed and Charles Henderson, four candidates, will be in to the last. So 1t appears to be Emmet O'Neal against the field. The man who cham poned the cause of the people when all others stood with their hands pocketed. called the Montgomery conference, and through the great fight against the amendment kept his ambition in the back ground while he put his whole soul into a defense of the constitution, backed by the same friends, will make the fight for con servatism and sane government which the people by their votes have demanded.
 There will be no keeping the amendment fight out of the campaign, and O'Neal becomes the champion of the victorious forces.
 Arrayed against him, Mallory and Seed are avowed amendists, though Mallory who swung the votes which submitted the amendment to the people, has since quail fled his position by stating that he would stand for what the people want. Tender son, though he did not come out as strongly as was expected, has taken a middle ground, and is said to be backed by the Conner influence.
 It Is admitted on every hand that Hen | derson's entry will be damaging to Mall lory, for he will divide the votes with O'Neni's Friends in Conference Friends of all the candidates were busy in Birmingham yesterday. Fifty-four counties were represented in the confer ence held by the friends of Emmet ONeal at headquarters in the First National
 Bank building. The novelty of the gath ering was that it was only called Satur- day night, and many who came got their letters and jumped on the train. The meeting was called to order at noon by T. H. Motion, chairman of the | campaign committee, with John c. Pugh E. Walker of Lauderdale R. J. Lowe of Barbour, Howard Douglas of Washington, James Weatherly and Jesse Stallings of Birmingham, J. R. Hooten of Roanoke, Major Francis of Decatur Senator Gam ble of Walker, W. M Coleman of Mar shall and A nlrnher of ofhera
 A committee was appointed to select a. campaign committee from the names sug- | gested yesterday afternoon. This will be | selected and published later. Colonel O'Neal made short talk, which was re- ceived with general enthusiasm and wild cheering. There were five amenders on
 hand to report a general improvement in sentiment and reports from every section were considered fine by those at head quarters.
 Molton Makes Short Talk In calling the meeting to order Chair man Motion said:
 This meeting has been called for the purpose Of organizing a campaign com mittee and to attend to such other busi
 ness as may be deemed necessary and advisable to promote the candidacy of Honorable Emmet ONeal for governor tof Alabama IF.
 Colonel O'Neal is the peoples choice and unless some grave mistakes are made
 l am sure he will be elected
 For reasons unknown to myself, Colo. nel O'Neal and his friends have chosen | ma serve as chairman of his campaign committee. Those who know me best
 must know that am an amateur in politics. 50 I am lead to believe that my selection is due to the fact that I am regarded as fairly good business man, and my friends know that am deeply interested in the welfare of dear old Alabama. have a greater interest in my native state than I have in the well fare of any single individual and if did not feel that it was good for all the peo- pie that Emmet O'Neal should be gov ernor of Alabama. then would not favor his election.
 | T have for tho past few years ob- served a movement on the part of some of Alabama's politicians and officeholders to mislead the people in matters of pub- lie policy and questions of vital interest. They were in a measure successful for a while, but thank God the peoples eyes have been opened and they are no longer hoodwinked. These same politicians of l fceholders and would-be officeholders, | in their. efforts to strengthen themselves and build up political machine, under took to bring to their rescue the support and aid of many of the best, purest and most innocent citizens. Men and women whose lives are so pure that they were wholly unsuspecting nnd could not sec below the surface and understand the aims and purposes of these ambitious politicians. who would not hesitate to teach fanaticism or any other ism to further their cause.
 An overwhelming majority of the peo- pie have walked up. have seen and real ized the situation and called halt. Who Sounded Tocsin of War Who was 1t that sounded the tocsin of war against the would-be leaders |? Was it not Emmet O'eNal that called us to Montgomery and encouraged us to take up the fight Yes, 1t was largely due to the work and influence of Colonel O'Neal that assembled that army of pa triotic citizens in Montgomery on Septem- Der 15, 1908, and who in convention there assembled. laid plans to dsfeat the con- stitut,onal 'amsndmsnt which wAs intepd-