The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-30

the idols of his fathers. the latter
represents a restless period and at
mosphere, new methods and means
of progress and the odor of change
to an experimental system of thought
and achievement 1t is a drawn poll
teal struggle between hero of the
Civil war and one of the Spanish
American brush. Captain Johnston
was d power in practical politics
when his present formidable rival
was an infant.
Both of these men of distinction
have interesting records When Cap
tain Johnston returned from the Civil
war he prepared to enter public life.
After notable career in minor ser
vice, including uncompromising an
tagonfsm Of reconstruction evils in
the South, he served two terms as
governor OF Alabama, and came near
dominating the States thought and
action. He met his first significant
defeat when he locked horns with the
late lamented John r. Morgan for the
senate. Morgan had long been Ala
bama's grand old man in that body:
the voters couldn't seriously contern-
plate taking down their idol
Fought Present Constitution.
Captain Johnston was the minority
leader against the adoption of the
present Alabama constitution in 1902.
and In that bitter fight made many
active enemies among the leaders OF
the movement TO put the big negro
vote in the political scrap heap. who
have been indirectly cunning for his
scalp ever since. But with unusual
recuperative powers he came back in
the memorable dead mems shoes
primary, naming SUCCESSORS in the
senate to Morgan and Pettus. when
those venerable representatives should
pass away, bagging the second va
cancy. Soon It came, when General
Pettus dropped into the death column
In the present battle Captain john
ston is standing on a platform con-
structed of his military record and
his public service. He is a defender
of corporate interests against radical
legislation, does not readily fall in
with pyrotechnic reform movements,
stands for local option as a safe
method of handling the aggravatins
liquor problem nj this State. and re-
fuses to believe that a highball will
carry fellow to the demnition bow
wow on a toboggan schedule.
Capt. Hobson's Varied Record.
Captain Hohson's public record Is
varied and striking. When he tried
10 get. on the retired list Of the navy
to enter public life. and gave defec-
tive eyesight as his claim, Represen-
tative John Fl. Bankhead. then a
member OF the naval affairs commit
tee, vigorously opposed action and
carried his point. A wealthy per-
sonal friend of Hohson's, who was
looking for a chance to show his ap-
probation of kindness from the
naval constructors father years pre-
vious, wrote him: Turn the tables
on him. Dick: get out and beat him
for congress. You can do it'll back
you till the cows come home. Go
after his political scalp"
1t was an idea offering n possible
combination OF revenge and reward;
Dick" did 1t. Resigning from the
navy. he entered the race for congre@
from the Sixth district against Be
head, veteran campaigner So,
astute politician. Like Captain ] a.
ston. he was OF different pc. .oc.
school ana spirit from young Hot
and old enough for his father. n
had been in congress many We N
and in Office forty or more. DesI.
his powerful family influences, G.
federate record, with four buiE.
marks and long service. young He
son. in his first whirl at practit
politics, gave him a run for his mone
and came near defeating him in tt
primary in 1905. Two years iatts
the fight was renewed with bitterness =
Hobson stumped the district. large
rural and mountainous. with most
its voters unable to distinguish be
tween a battleship and a tugboa,
and on a billion dollar navy issu,
swept things.