The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-15
Candidate for Governor
Makes Short Address Tell
ing Need for Business
Administration
COL. SANFORD AND
ELkOURIE TELL OF
HENDERSON'S WORK
Speakers Ignore All Other Candidates
for Governor Except Conner.
Addresses All Short, But
Lofty in Tone

Lofty IN Tone
Although by 10 o'clock it was chilly
in the auditorium of Gipsy Smith last
night, between 500 and 1000 people for
Two hours heard the keynote of the
gubernatorial campaign sounded"
The occasion was the rally of the
Henderson jefferson County club in the
s5nterest of the gubernatorial aspira-
tions of Charles Henderson of Troy
president of the railroad commi ssion
Mar. Henderson was present and deliv-
cred a short address, He was fol-
lowed by DR.. II. A. Elkourie of Bir-
5ningham. Col W. II. Sanford Of
Montgomery, son of the late governor
Sanford closed in a mastery criticism
of the administration of ex-Gov. b.
b, Conner, candidate for governor, and
a fine description of Charles Hender-
son as a man and public official
Each of the speeches was free of
mud" All criticism was based en-
tirely on record. The audience at times
was enthusiastic, but was character
ized chiefly by its attention and its
&Nlhtit dtsAlt " DGCOIlle informed.
T. H. Motion Presides
T. II. Motion, the well known busi-
ness man of Birmingham, and a mem
Der of, the Legislature. presided. The
first business consisted of the election
OF officers of the Henderson club
thereafter the speaking began.
The three speeches were short. each
consuming less than 80 minutes. They
We're full of snap and lofty sentiment,
but contained nevertheless real
punch predominant feature was
the fact that each of the speakers ig-
nored every candidate save Mr.. Hen
derson and Mr.. Conner, it being evident
ly the belief of the Henderson follow
ing that the fight is between the for
mer governor and the president of the
railroad commission.
Mr.. Sanford who is a prohibitionist,
attacked, by Inference. the temper.
ance" record of Mr.. Conner. He said
that he had been criticised for sup
porting Henderson because Henderson
is local optionist. However" he
added, Il would rather trust this local
optionist with the temperance of the
state than Mr. Conner. who was elected
a local optionist, turned prohibition
list and appointed sheriff of Mont
somery county over the protests of
prohib1t1onists who permitted hum
dreds of blind tigers to flourish under
the very nose of the capitol"
Words OF Greeting
Mr.. Hendersons address was more of
a word OF greeting. lie declared thar
the demonstration which had been ac-
corded him was not to be construed
as a compliment to him, but as an ex-
preston of the people of a determina-
ton to espouse a cause promising n
.an f-f1s Hon a.,f
of the state, return of peace and pros
perity.
He declared that he was no orator,
but that he had accomplished a few
things of merit in the interest of the
people, and showed where he started
the fight in 1902 for railroad rate reg
ulation, and, although another who
had not been identified in the begin
ming with the movement stepped in
when the fruit was ripe and pluoked it,
he had continued the fight up TO this
year and had actually, without bonn
bastic boasts and costly blunders. regu.
lated the railroads
He reviewed the. administration of
Ex-Governor Conner. pointing out the
cost of the efforts of that governor to
regulate railroads and how he had
Tailed, of how taxes had been raised
and included in his charges, profligacy
in needless expenditures of money. In
conclusion, lie promised that no ap-
preparation would be authorized by him
unless he had ascertained that money
could be acquired and expended with
out distressing the finances of the
state or running its credit. After the
meeting had adjourned many men
crowded upon the stage, shook hands
with Mr.. Henderson, and showered
him with congratulations on the sue
cess OF the rally.
Elkourie's Spirited Address
Dr.. Elkourie made perhaps the most
spirited address of the evening. He
declared that one of the reasons why
he favored Mr.. Henderson was the
fact that he is not an orator. ''Ie is
not one of those who talks. we'll" said
the speaker but one of those who do
big things we'll. The time is here when
the tall<er must take back seat and
the doer be promoted for the service
of the people. Mr.. henderson cannot
express himself in style as attractive
as some other men, perhaps, but, he
has made success at business-his
own business, and that of the state"
Dr. Elk ourie protested against in
temperance in the speeches of cam
paign orators and expressed an idea
that political fights in Alabama We're
too frequently characterized by dema-
goguery implication and appeal TO
prejudice. Mud singing and inflam-
matory language he argued. were in
dicative of shallowness and ineffici-
ency.
He declared that Mr.. Henderson was
the originator of the railroad rate reg
ulation propaganda He urged his
hearers to read the platforms of the
candidates, review their records and,
basirg the future on the past. cast
their votes for the best man. He was
free to admit that in his opinion Mr..
Henderson was by all means the best
man
Colonel Samford's Speech
"fn honor, incorruptible; in Simplic-
fty, sublime; no finer representative Of
democracy, no more stanch defender
of the state"
Thus Colonel Sanford spoke OF AIr.
Henderson. \ feature of his spe6ch was
his story of the service which Hender-
son rendered the city of Troy He
stated that Mr.. Henderson has served
his city four times as mayor. lie was
reelected the sixth time in 1901 after
being out Of office for some time when
"TINDER tories"