The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-15
CONTINUED From Page one,

special favors for none. Il shall so into
your service untrammelled and unboughl.
unpledged to any private conelave or any
secret clique, and undominated by any
corporate interests, with no mans collar
and during this campaign shall bear my
self as becomes a son of Alabama"
Mr.. Henderson spoke as follows:
Disposes of Conner
Fellow Citizens: Before commencing
my regular address of this occasion, per
nit me to refer to a statement made by
one of my opponents B. B. Conner, at At
talla, on the gath day of July.
In this speech B. 3. Conner said in ct
feet that the Louisville and Nashville
railroad had captured and branded Lie,
and that now l was its chief lieutenant,
spreading the gospel of their interests
among the people of the state.
This statement was a wilful and ma
licious falsehood, made for the purpose OF
creating a prejudice against me for his
own benefit, and defy him to produce one
act or word to justify his slanderous at
tack.
This is the same man Conner who was
elected governor of Alabama in 1906 by an
unprecedented majority, and retired from
office in 1911, the most universally con-
demned man that has ever occupied the
governors chair. The leopard has not
changed his spots He is the man who
forsook the platform upon which he was
elected, ran from the issues upon which
he made his campaign, when. as he
thought it appeared weakening and
sought notoriety by selling the leader
ship of an issue foreign to his life's teach
ing, that he might perpetuate his reign in
Alabama. But he found that the people
of the state had enough of him
After grasping the leadership of this
new issue and making it the dominant one
in the campaign for the governorship, he
failed to give it support when he found
that he could not longer appropriate it to
>his own use.
Through the profigacy of his admin
istration and the hoard of offices he
created, and by the aid of the vast army
of appointees made by him, he now seeks
TO re-establish himself in power through
conditions resulting from the mistakes
of his own administration.
Role of Fence Rider
To accomplish his purpose he assumes
the innocent role of fence rider. to catch
the unsuspecting, but Huerta like, does
not hesitate to use the dirk of the assas-
Sin on former friends and supporters to
remove them from the path of his ambi-
tion. No one who dares to obstruct his
course is safe from his vitriolic slander.
He violated, while governor of this
state, to his personal advantage. princi-
pies which he declared to uphold and to
perpetuate.
Il had hoped this campaign would be
conducted without personalities and on a
high plane of thought, but must acknowl-
edge my disappointment. / defy this de-
famer and will ask him no quar>er As
the campaign progresses we will follow
the Shiny trail of hypocrisy as 1t winds its
way to its lair, surrounded by patronage
and fed by personal greed and avarice,
mr. 20 81, ,,,f.,
publicity.
NO charges will be made however. ex-
cept such as are borne out by the records.
Speaks to Old Friends
''In presenting to the voters and citizens
of the state of Alabama my aspirations
to become chief executive of this COM
monwealth it is becoming to me, and 1t
is my desire, first to speak to the people
among whom | was reared and have lived
during my life, among the playmates of
my childhood, the companions of my
youth, the friends with whom | have
mingled and had dealings during my bus
mess career, to these people of Pike coun-
~, whose destinies are mingled irretriev-
ably with those of my family and myself
and whose joys and sorrows have been
common to all of us to such an extent that
the successes of one are rejoiced in by
all, and the sorrows of one touch a chord
citizens of our beloved county
ITO you | owe much of the success it
has been my good fortune TO accomplish
ia the past. My private and business life
has been an open book to you | have
stiiven. as one of you to develop the re-
ligious, the educational and the material
welfare of this county and this section.
Here / was born. Here are my kindred.
These people are my friends, and when
come to die, l shall be buried in the
bosom of mother earth in this county, and
the winds signing through the trees above
my grave shall sing my last sad requiem
"As you all know, l am not, and never
have been. given to much speech. My past
life, both in private, business and political
service, has been that of a man of action
rather than a man of words. l am no
orator capable of clothing my thoughts in
words of sophistry, nor of concealing
thought by high sounding phrases. l am
but a plain, blunt man, who loves his
friends, his state and mis- country, and
whose desire now is to be of some fur
ther service to those who in the past
have seen fit to honor me with their con-
fidence.
His Political History
Being a candidate for the high office of
governor of the state of Alabama, 1t is
betting at this time that l place before
you. and through you to the people of
the state, a part of my political history,
and with 1t to set forth the views which
! now hold, upon some of the public ques-
tions involved in proper administration
of the affairs of our state government.
And, when 1 have done this, If my past
life will warrant you in having confidence
in my integrity. and my personal views of
government shall meet with your ap-
proval, shall be grateful for your suf
frage, and with whatever capacity / have
been endowed / will use to the utmost of
my ability in the interest of securing a
government of the people, for the people,
understood by Thomas Jefferson, the
patriots who aided in laying the founda-
tions of this great republic.
'It was in my own home here, among
my friends and neighbors in the town
of Troy, that l, as young man, was
first called from private walks of life
to the dignified position of mayor of this
thriving city. To have been thus selected
to preside over the affairs of my fellows,
carried with it certain amount of per-
sonal pride, 1t is true, and it also brought
me to realization that every promotion
brought with it increased responsibility,
and that my whole duty was not per-
formed unless by earnest and honest eff
fort l tried to meet the requirements that
were placed upon me by the trust to which
l had been called.
Servant of Public
''Since that time l have been several
times honored by the people of my native
city, and by the people of the entire state
of Alabama, but at no time have 1 ever
lost sight of the fact that l was public