The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-01-22
|EX=OUTLAW IN POLITICS.
AL j. JENNINGS TO SEEK DEMO-
CRATIC NOMINATION.
Reformed Train Robber and Former
Convict Announces His Plat
form.

AL j. JeulluSS, lOl lISl u loll1 ioo
Der and Federal prisoner, who won
the Democratic nomination for coun-
ty attorney of Oklahoma county, Ok
lahoma, in 1912, will announce his
candidacy for the governorship of the
State of Oklahoma when he returns
to his home, week after next, says
New York special to the Indianapolis
News. Mr.. Jennings was in New
York, and outlined his platform and
plan of campaign to reporter.
Il am entering the race for the
governorship." said Mr.. Jennings,
"as a Democrat. Many of my friends
have urged me to seek an indepen-
dent nomination, but | have always
been a Democrat, and want to stay
in the party. My object is to clean
up the party in Oklahoma, to drive
out of it the present leaders, who
claim to be Democrats, but who are
only spoilsmen. I intend to fight the
double-dealing, political thieves with
whom no self-respecting outlaw OF
former years can associate.
All l want is to see absolutely
honest men at the head of the gov
ernment, and. after have announc-
ed my candidacy, if some man whose
integrity and uprightness is unques-
toned becomes a candidate, / shall
withdraw and support him with all
my ability. If I find that there is
another honest man in the field be-
sides myself, I will not help elect a
machine man by staying in the race
to split the honest vote.
Why He is Reformer.
Some people do not seem to be
able to understand how an outlaw, an
ex-train robber and Federal prisoner
can become sincerely law-abidins
and a reformer in politics, but the eX-
planation is simple. l made mis-
take and defed the law. | was
caught and punished, kept five years
ir prison, and then saw how ! had
been wrong to become an enemy OF
society. decided to reclaim my
place in society, and set about do
ing it. AS soon as l became free
man, living in a free community, l
began to appreciate the differences in
lawbreaking and the consequences
thereof-and that made me polltl-
cal reformer..
81 had been a train robber, a
crude, open defer of society, and
had been caught and punished.
saw all about me men who wore the
best clothes and stood high in society
robbing the people right and left
and not getting caught or being pun
ished. They were not as primitive as
I had been in the method they chose.
They did things in the dark, and on
ly appeared in the open when they
had on their Sunday clothes, so to
speak. But, tell me, what is the
difference between the man who
holds up a train at the point of a
gun and he who loots the treasury
of State? The only difference, can
see is that the train robber is at
least honest in acknowledging his
character, while the spokesman leads
a double life
Mr.. Jennings said he would carry
on the same kind of aggressive, per-
sonal campaign for the nomination
of governor as he carried on for the
county attorneyship. He said he had
no money behind him, and would
not be able to establish any head
quarters.
Plans to Name the Crooks.
Il will stump the State" he said,
| and speak from street corners and
halls wherever | can. ! intend to
speak in every county of the State as
often as possible | shall be aggres-
sive and talk straight. | shall name
the political crooks in the open, and
show my evidence against them.
There are one or two men at present
highly respected in the country
whom shall expose without mercy.
Mr. Jennings said that if he were
elected governor he would make it
his chief object to enforce the law
without respect to persons, but that,
from lessons derived during his owD
prison experience, he would also ap-
ply himself to prison reform in Okla
homa.
"I favor the adoption of reforma-
tory parole SYSTEM" he said, "by
which first Offenders can be given a
chance to redeem themselves. | think
that a young man who is convicted
II for the first time should be allowed