The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-23
ABERCROMB|E GETS INTO THE RACE FOR JOHNSTON'S PLACE Makes Formal Announce ment of His Candidacy
 for the Senate ELECT POSTMASTERS
 BY POPULAR VOTE Is Also Squarely in Favor of Woman's Suffrage-In Birmingham Yes
 terday on His Way to
 Baltimore
By HUGH ". RoBERrs

Fly HUGH w. ROBERTS
 John w Abercrombie, former superin- tendent of education and president of the University of Alabama. now congressman elect from the state at large, Is a candi- date for the Senate of the United States.
 From the formal announcement which pr. Abercrombie, as he passed through Birmingham yesterday afternoon en route to Baltimore, made to the democrats of Alabama, 1t Is gathered that the reason for casting his hat into still another ring is lodged in the fear which he expresses that after one term as congressman at large he will be legislated out of office. The reason for the early announcement of the candidate is probably found In tpe fact that Congressman Richmond Pear son Hobson has set the precedent. As in the card of the latter gentleman, nothing in the card of Dr. Abercrombie Is calcu lated to throw light on the gossipy contro- versy as to whether or not these sudden and premature announcements were in- tended to forestall the expected and alto gether probable announcement of ex-Gov. B. B. Conner.
 lnC tltCt Eot GtttNCDt At any rate. the situation becomes day by day more pregnant with human inter- est. despite the fact that the election is so far distant that a Jeffersonian fore- sight could scarcely discern the sun of it's day. There are three candidates. Sen ator Johnston, whose seat is so earnestly sought, will ask for another term. for he will have served but the one It is barely possible that Senator Johnston's vote in determining the verdict in the case of Senator Lorimer has been already consid- cred by the aspirants as topic on which to appeal in a thunder and lightning cam paign to the %deer peepul." But this is not the sole reason for the general arousal of human interest. One of the candidates, Richmond P. Hobson. is at the present time a member of Congress- and has not begun the service of new term to which, he was elected in April The other candi- date, pr. Abercrombie. is still bending un- der the onerous burden of an approach ing congressional term.
 Perhaps to Forestall Conner
 In this connection it is barely possible that B. B. Conner will enter the race If B. B. Conner ever reaches the point of believing that the early announcements of Hobson and Abercrombie were forth coming as results of well laid plans to forestall him in a similar move, then the concensus of opinion is,that B. B. Conner will yet emerge from the background and take the bit in his teeth.
 Should these three-Hobson, Abercrom- bic and Comer--each imbued with the Rooseveltian idea of initiative. referendum and recall enter the race for the honors which Senator Johnston complacently wears today, there will be much out of which to make deluctons and more on which to base speculations for the future. And should the three enter, it Is positive that at least two of them will never see the light of day-and all three in previous campaigns have ridden like modern Lancelots and conquered with the ease of new Napoleons.
 T. Jefferson in Error
 pr, Abercrombie came prepared with platform-a long one. a well written one. and one teeming with platitudes which will hardly detract attention from Balti- more, and bearing occaional thought the originality of which will cause those imbued with desire to debate 10 take off their coats
 LIKE tdHtdin ItDpSOIl, Di. Abtiffpiiplt favors the initiative, referendum and re- call which is proof positive that neither the one nor the other is alone in his con tention that Jefferson's idea In forming the blanks of the original platform was one settled on base of error. Unlike Hobson, however, Dr. Abercrombie does not make references to the sale of intoxi cants the piece de resistence of his utter ance, and the former college professor, unlike the former wizard of the Merri- l mac, does not make as patently heart felt appeal to the plain man who sweats in the field, Dr. Abercrombie. however does pay his compliments by indirection of course to the careless employer, {" especially those whose laborers are forced under the cold and barren earth in search of coal against the tooth of winter
 Votes for Wimmens'
 Dr. iAbercrombie strays from the beaten path.a however. in at least two particulars. The plfe is his desire to establish the cus- tom Suf ocular elections of postmasters-- which, were this custom established would mean the elimination of the ladies behind the counters. But pr. Abercrom- bic is not inimical when the fair sex is concerned. This fact resplendently spar kles in subsequent paragraphs wherein the candidate declares openly and in above-the-belt fashion for woman suf- frage
 On these two instances, which prove the