The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-25
JUDGE ALMON'S SPEECH
 NOMINATING BANKHEAD

l was a member of that committee and favored this plan. The first purpose was to secure the reelection of Senators Mor- gan and Pettus without opposition. The second was to get an expression from the democrats of Alabama, as to their choice for senatorstin event of a vacancy or vacancies, which it was thought was not at all improbable on account Of the advanced years of our distinguished sen etors. The plan was made by their friends, and it had the effect. or at least Morgan and Pettus were nominated with out opposition
 Five of Alabama's gifted and dis tinguished citizens entered the race as candidates for alternate senators. John Hollis Bankhead, who was then serving his twentieth year in Congress from the Sixth district, received the greatest num- Der of votes for alternate senator. Soon thereafter the Hon. John T. Morgan passed to the great beyond, and not only Alabama, but the nation lost one of its greatest statesmen. The legislature of Alabama was then in session and very promptly and properly carried out the expressed will of the people by electing Bankhead to fill this vacancy
 When the democratic state executive committee met in the early part of 1910 to call primary election it declared that the successor of Senator Banlxhead should be selected in democratic pri- mary. Three able and distinguished dem- ocrats entered the race, either of whom
 would have reflected credit upon the great state of Alabama in the Senate of the United States. When the polls were closed and the ballots were counted on
 May 2. 1910, it was ascertained that Sen ator Bankhead was the choice of the democrats of Alabama as his own suc- cessor.
 we have now met for the purpose of
 carrying out the expressed will of the democrats of Alabama to elect in the
 manner provided by the constitution and
 statutes of this state their choice for United States senator, and in further
 ance of that purpose I nominate John Hollis Bankhead to succeed himself as
 United States senator from Alabama for
 the term beginning March, IA, 1913. For more than half a century he has given his time and talents to the serv- ice of the people of his native state He
 has been faithful to every trust, an hon. or to our state and nation. He is a self
 made man of the truest type, a trne- blue democrat. By reason of his great ability, his wide experience, his vigorous
 manhood and long experience in public life he is today better qualified to serve the people of Alabama effectively and deficiency than ever before.
 You will pardon a personal alusion, and permit me to say that Senator Bank head has long been my warm personal friend, and a friend of every one who bears my name In North Alabama. He has been almost like a father to me, and I love him as a son loveth a father. Hence, it gives me genuine and inex- pressible pleasure to have the honor to-
 day to place him in nomination as his own successor.
 q sincerely hope that he may be spared many years to his family, his friends, his
 beloved state, and our great nation, and
 that he may live to serve not only his .unexpired term, but serve to the end of | the full term to which he will this day be elected, and when he elects to lay aside