The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-09

! concede my power to make tempo
rary appointment, and / am convinced
| that no man in Alabama believes that If
the appointment to the vacancy In the
| United States Senate had been rendered
| to Captain Hobson that he would not
| have swiftly and thankfully accepted the
! honor.
81 have never charged that he made
any direct application, but / did state
that in my judgment such an appli-
cation would have been forthcoming If
| a mutual friend had not interposed and
| informed Captain Hobson that such ap-
plication on his part would have beeii
entirely fruitless.
Name of Friend
Il have no disposition to drag the
name of this friend into this contro
versy, but in view cf the grossly in
sulting manner in which Captain Hob
son denounces the insinuation that he
contemplated seeking the appointment
justice to myself compels me to state
| that this mutual friend and gentleman
in which | impose implicit trust and
confidence was Judge Edward de Graf
fenreid He informed me on Tuesday
morning following the funeral of Sem
ator Johnston that he had advised Cap
tain Hobson that it would be useless
for him to make application for the
appointment. Neither myself nor the
public will believe that this gentle
| man would have interposed If Captain
Hobson had not entertained the idea OF
applying for the appointment. Certain
| it is that after that Interview Captain
Hobson's views underwent a swift and
remarkable transformation. ignoring
the positive declaration to myself per-
sonally, enraged by bitter disappoint-
ment, he promptly proceeded to de-
nounce the proposed appointment and
after the appointment was made, under
the influence of unbridled temper and
insufferable vanity he pl,oiically
charged that it was made as the result
of a deep laid conspiracy to aefeat his
candidacy for the Senate.
after that interview and not befol G
did he fill the columns of the daily
press with nauseating protestations tha t
he would not accept the office of SEN
ator except at the hands of the pec-
| pie.
"If Mr.. Hobson was honestly con-
vinced that my appointment of Mr..
| Clayton was an act of usurpation, and
was Illegal and void, it is rather diff
| ficult to understand by what course of
reasoning he reached the conclusion
that it would seriously affect his
| chances for success. On the contrary.
| If | acted without authority or law. as
Captain Hobson now claims, the pros
| poets of the other candidates for the
senatorial succession would have been
/ improved instead of lessened
Insisted on Discussion
| "Of all the public men who were gath
| cred at Birmingham on that mournful
/ Sunday to pay their tribute OF respect to
| Senator Johnston, Captain Hobson was
the only man who in utter contempt of
the proprieties of the occasion and against
my expressed dsinclination, insisted on
a r,4,. f.I.
and before | had my breakfast the ques-
ton of the senatorial succession. Yet as
conclusive evidence of this mans utter
hypocracy, insincerety and unblushing eff
fort to deceive and mslead the public,
on that same evening he gave out the
following interview to a reporter of TIE
Age-Herald, which appeared in the Mon
days issue: You ask me an expression
under the pressure of this sad occasion
l am informing no one of my own in
tcntions, am only raising my voice in the
interest of the peoples rights Yet but
few hours before he had insisted that
1t was imperative that he should know
what course | would take, whether |
would make an early appointment and
call an early election, for If an election
was called he stated he would announce
his candidacy for the Senate on Monday
me rning. but otherwise he would return
cratic caucus
captain Hobson denounces in intemp-
crate language all who question fidelity
to his congressional duties. The list of
the roll calls from which Captain Hobson
was absent was published in the Adver-
tiser on Thursday, last, and is compiled
from official records. I challenge him
to deny their correctness.
Absence From Roll Call
Il do not believe, however that alb
sence from roll calls alone tends to show
neglect of congressional duty. 1t is un-
questionably the primary duty of a men,
ger OF Congress to remain at the seat
OF government during the session of the
House of Representatives. I do charge
mat Captain Hobson has been absent
from the city of Washington more fire.
quently than any other member from
Alapama, that he Is constantly filling en-
gagements on the lecture platform or fol-
lowing forlorn hope campaigning the
state Tor the senatorial nomination. Ue
cannot when absent hundreds of miles
lroii. 5.e WASHINGTON so frequently properly
discharge his official duties
Only recently Hon Oscar w Jrndar-
wood, the democratic leader laid upon
the oesk OF eacn member a card stating
that the consideration of the currency
Dill had been delayed by the failure of
democratic members to attend the party
caucus His warning. as far as Captain
Hobson was concerned. fell upon dear
ears Only when trouble was Anticipated
with Mexico did this gentleman, whom
the st. Louis Post Dispatch has dubbed $
the war scare hasten to his post of
duty, and then, when the President failed
10 let loose the dogs of war he hastencd
BACK to Alabama to pursue his senatorial
campaign.
that he seeks public office only for the
opportunity it affords for service, should
not by his acts so thoroughly belle his
nigh sounding protestations.