The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-29
LIQUOR ISSUE WILL FIGURE IN CONTEST How State Candidates Are
 Lined Up THOSE IN THE RACE Congressman at, Large Will Offer By Far the Most Lively and h. teresting Scramble of the
 Whole List .a
THOSE IN THE RACE
By BERRyMAN G. BETTY

Montgomery, December 2S.-(Specia1) Alabama's ancient nightmares of pro hibition and local option' are to figure to a material extent in the primary election of April I, next, according to we'll informed politicians at the eapi Itol At this primary the chief offices to be filled are a president of the Ala bama railroad commission, a state fish and game commissioner and a congress- man at large, while delegates to the state convention will also be named at that time tr tts,3
 Insofar as the railroad commission vacancy and the state fish and game commissionership are concerned the ''liquor" politics will not play so lm- portant part in the mix up, but it is thought that in the race for congress- man at large the issue will be clearly defined, with the strongest campaign points pro or con the traffic Judging from the candidates who have already announced for the honor it is thought by politicians here that the lines are already being drawn, and that the is- sue is about defined.
 
 understood that I. w Hill, former superintendent of education, who is now located at Gadsden, will be in the race, as well as Sam Blackwell of Decatur and Fred Wall of Athens. Major V. B. Atkins of Selma and Dr. John w. Abercrombie, former president of the University of Alabama, are out and out candidates for the plum, as well as H. Y. Brooke of Luverne, one of the state examiners of public accounts. Several other announcements are suggested, but those mentioned above are expected to stick energetically in the race and to make it go.
 Brooke for Good Roads
 Mir Brooke in his campaign for the congressional honors is making his campaign solely on a good roads plat form, regardless of the liquor tendency of the times. He Is the author of a unique measures which, in his opinion, will solve the good roads problem without state or federal aid, and which will give to the country the finest system of roads ever promulgated at total cost of only $2.60 per year to the taxpayer The value of such a system to the farmer, MT. Brooke points out, is incontestable. He thinks that mathematicians will satisfactorily prove, when put to the test, that farms worth 5000 with bad roads will be worth at least $1250 with good roads, He has incorporated his modus oper- andi in a bill which he expects to in troduce to Congress should he be elect ed. ~f
 The Other Issues
 But while MT. Brooke will be goin E in and out among the various coun- ties explaining his good roads idea the liquor lines are expected to be lrawn into the rest of the race. The prohibi- tionists of Alabama are expected to fall into line back of Dr. John w Abercrombie, I. w. Hill and Sam Black well. The local optionists are expected to troop behind the standard of Major Atkins and Fred Wall. The old ques- tion of the constitutional amendment may even be brought into the fight. The ghost of that bloody encounter is still haunting the state.
 The two mainstays of the race, who are expected to bear the greatest brunt of the liquor feeling at the present time are Dr. Abercrombie and Major Atkins the last named of whom has been espe- cially active in the defeat of prohibi- ton. Undoubtedly Dr. Abercrombie will rally around him a number of educators of the state, a factor in the campaign which is not to be overlooked. Again, he will draw tremendous following from the prohibitionists of Alabama.
 Major Atkins is expected to pull the military with him, large part of the legislative influence, and some of the biggest counties in Alabama. Should Mr. Wall stick in the fight to the last, the local option forces in north Alabama will be about split into quarters, with the greatest strength on the side of the north Alabamian, who, while all that is going on the prohibition forces would be split on Messrs. Abercrombia, Hill and Blackwell and the result would be a merry whirl, a giddy and gay hullaba- loo.
 Active stumping of the state is ex- pected to be begun by the congressional candidates by the middle of January.