The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-11
TOM LONG IS OUT IN VIGOROUS DEFENSE Does Not Mince Words in Referring To Certain
 Newspapers of State
To the Editor of The Age Herald;

To the Editor of The Age Heralu'
 Although private citizen, holding no office of profit, either state or ha- tionaI, certain newspapers in the sta'e have published slanderous statements about me personally, misrepresenting the resolution recently introduced py me before the state executive commit ice. which met in Birmingham last De- cember. These newspapers have charged that the resolution in question under took to prevent every prohibition demo- crat in Alabama from participating Tn the next democratic primary, which IS to be held on April 1 next.
 Not satisfied with this one islander. one of those newspapers, to-wit; The Guntersvlle Democrat, a paper of tho shirt tall full of type" variety, a weekly organ which charges $1 a year for sub- scription, and is willing to take 1t In any kind of. country produce, including stove wood if delivered in the kitchen mt the home of the editor and which makes the usual newspaper claim that I've, the people," stand behind it's ut terances, shouts through it's editorial page that the author of the resolu- tion above mentioned (myselD 'is fool and received a fools reward" and comments further by saying that tho executive committee, which should be composed of the wisest and most con servative democrats, shows unmistak- able signs that jibbering imbeciles took part in it's deliberations" This same sheet further advises the people not to submit to being tied to the chariot wheels of bourbon standpatter like Mir. Harmon under the guise of sup porting MT. Underwood"
 Another one of these little country weeklies that belongs to sthe swap space for railroad pass" type, and also belongs to the class of newspapers in this state that hardly have enough type in their cases to set up the word ''rab- bit" all in capitals for the lack of big "B's," to-wit the Geneva Reaper makes the islander even greater, and without cause heaps insult upon injury by advising the editors of this state as follows: keep your eyes on this fell low (Tom Long), boys, he is in politics, and some day may need the services of the press which he has so roundly
  the wall back of your desk"
 Were I the only one slandered by these falsehoods and malicious publlca- tions, it would probably go unnoticea, for the reason that their subscribers are like the righteous people in ancient Sodom-very few indeed-but when newspapers of note, for example, the Birmingham News and the Montgomery Journal, and other trust owned and trust controlled sheets, which were the first papers in the state to open up this unjust and unholy war against the ac- 1ion of the state democratic executive committee at its last session, give pub licity to such slanderous attacks and falsehoods as are published by the Gun tersvilie Democrat and the Geneva Reaper. then silence no longer becomes virtue.
 The Montgomery Journal goes one better in the pot and, under date of January 2, after using my name "un- complimentary" 17 times more than it is mentioned or referred to in the Bible, among other things says: "He, Tom Long, Is the man who wanted to rule out of the party all of the men who did not vote for O'Neal during the pri- mary" Now to the facts
 The resolution introduced by me, which sems to have caused such shock throughout the state among certain of these 'holier than thou" newspaper men, did not undertake to disfranchise a single democrat in Alabama, be he a prohibitionist or a local optionist. The resolution simply gave any recognized democrat the right to challenge any person offering to vote in the next dem- ocratic primary by stating his ground of challenge to the managers; then if the managers sustained the challenge. the person so challenged could not vote unless he subscribed to an oath pledg- ing himself to support the nominees of the democratic party nominated in the said primary. This was the substance of the resolution. The resolution itself was withdrawn by me and never again presented, when my attention was called to a clause in the Gardner Green reso- lution, previously passed. and for which l voted. that left the entire manage ment of the April primary to a sub committee which was to be named by the chairman of the democratic execu- tive committee. This committed. oi which I was member, met In Mont