The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-13
WOOD ANNOUNCES
HIS PLATFORM FOR
COMING CAMP PA|GN
Advocates Prosecution of
All Offenders, Whether
Rich or Poor
WOULD ABOLISH
THE CHAIN GANG
Former Recorder in Favor of Munici-
pal Employment Bureau; a
Seperate Taxing District
for Birmingham

c. r. Wood, socialist and labor can
didate for president of the board of
commissioners = to succeed Culpepper
Exum, yesterday announced his plat
form. He calls 1t a Municipal Pro-
gramme."
The platform states the candidate
stands for complete separation of the
police force from the gambling inter-
ests and fair prospecution of all Of
tenders of the moral law, whether they
be rich or poor. Other planks call for
municipal ownership of public utilities,
immediate abolition of the chain gang,
separate taxing district for Birming-
ham. municipal employment bureau
and other reforms.
The real issue of the campaign Is
claimed to be whether or not the city
government shall be used as a weapon
against the people," THE subsidized
press,'' it is stated. will be used by the
other candidates to fight Mr.. Wood, on
account of his belief in socialism. The
candidate will be remembered as re-
cent city recorder who was discharged
by the city officials on the grounds
of temperamental incompetency. The
platform follows
Platform of Wood
I'm yielding to the urgent requests of
citizens from every walk of life that 1
become a candidate for the office of pres
ident of the board of commissioners, it is
proper that l make a statement to the
public of the programme for which
stand and the enactment of which is the
real reason of my becoming candidate.
am not an office seeker. But local
conditions require that a man be elected
to this office who stands for complete
break from the old corporation control
of the city, both in financial and moral
benefit of city government to the citizens.
And on this issue L am willing to be-
come candidate, expecting support not
through friendship or personal popular
ity, but expecting the backing of all who
believe in real democratic government In
the interest of the people.
THE evil conditions which afflict Br-
mingham are not peculiarly local in their
nature; they are true in general of all
the city government free giving away
of franchises and other property of the
citizens to public service corporations:
extravaganza in unimportant matters and
miserly economy about such necessary
and vital things as public education.
recreation, housing and health; corrup-
ton in the police department, use of the
city police and judicial department
against workers on strike in the endeav-
or to break the strike, and use of the
police department to shield wealthy Of
tenders; all of these and more we have
in Birmingham; and all of these are
parts of the exploitive system which gave
them birth, and will never be ended un-
til 1t is ended. This local condition is
part of the worldwide struggle, in which
the exploiters of labor--of all men, wom-
en- and children who labor with Drawn
or brain-strive to retain as large as
possible share of the product Of labor.
This local fight is part of the effort
to end this exploitation. This effort can
not entirely succeed in single election.
nor in a single city alone.
Real Issue of Campaign
But the citizens of Birmingham have
a right to demand and by their votes en-
force the demand. that the city govern
ment shall no longer be used weap-
on against them, that it must represent
them and be used In their favor. This