The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-05
FOUR CANDIDATES |. FOR GOVERNOR CAN
 NOW TAKE AREST "COmerism" Has Been Big Factor in Spite of Other
 Important Issues CLASHES WITH SEED
 ADDED TO GAYETY Followers of Henderson and Kolb Both Claim They Have the Man
 to Beat Conner in the
 Second Race
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

By HUGH W. ROBERTS
 At midnight, the candidates for governor sought their couches.
 1 They had done everything mortal men could do. Their claims will be given at tention Monday The people of Alabama will say whether the state needs B. B. 1 Conner again, or whether it needs Charles Henderson, or Reuben F. Kolb or Walter 1 D. Seed.
 | The gubernatorial campaign has been l interesting. It would have been of en- | thralling interest but for the fact that the senatorial struggle overshadowed it. The feature has been the furious strug- | gle between the force which is behind | Conner, and the force which believes that Conner is the embodiment of a danger to the happiness and the prosperity of the commonwealth.
 | There seems to be no question but that MT Conner will receive a plurality of the votes Monday. It is generally believed | that he will not receive majority, and that the second primary will decide the issue between him and Charles Henderson The followers of Captain Kolb believes that Captain Kolb will be the second | man.
 ] Saloon Leagues Activity
 MT. Conner has waged an agressive-a characteristic-camp He has re- ferred sarcastically to Walter D. Seed He has never spoken unkindly-as far as
 known-of Captain Kolb. He has deliv- cred his blows against MT. Henderson That this is proof that Conner believes Henderson his real rival. is believed by Henderson followers.
 | The campaign was pitched by Conner at Gaines Chapel in Etowah county l There he made a sensational attack against Henderson. He charged that Hen- derson was the agent of the railroads | that he was the candidate favored by the liquor interests. He charged that the railroads had cut off Henderson's ears and marked him for their own" | MT. Henderson immediately retorted by publishing facts and figures descriptive | of the administration of MT. Conner. He attempted to show that the administration | of MT. Conner had been so expensive that the credit of the state was endangered. He charged that Conner was a Conner man. exclusively, that he could tolerate no opposition; that any man who dared
 to hinder him was in his opinion, the
 henchman of the interests. Henderson
 charged that Conner was a fake and g hypocrit. In regard to these charges and | countercharges, the people are about to speak.
 Settlement of Rates | In addition to the Gaines Chapel ad- dress, there have been features of the campaign. At Brent, there occurred a | sensational clash between Conner anc l Seed in which Seed secured a decided | advantage. Recently at Dadeville, there | occurred another sensational clash be- | tween the two. Tn this clash, the word '1iar'' was used MT. Conner drew his knife, brandished it, it is said, and threat ened to cut the throat of his opponent MT. Henderson immediately asked the peo. pie if this incident did not show that the | Conner temperament was not the tempera. ment of a man worthy to be governor oi | a great state.
 Mr. Conner by saying in his speeche.
 that during his administration the states
 money was not taken behind the cap
 tel and divided, prec!pitated still another unusual incident. The governor of Ala
 bama replied to that statement In al
 address in Montgomery, delivered be
 fore one of the largest audiences eve gathered in the state. This was fol lowed by a citation addressed to MT Conner. by the grand jury. which wal then Investigating certain phases of tn, Theodore Lacy case. Just what MT. Co mer told the grand juty is unknown. H, gave the jurors, no facts, however. or which they could base 6 true bill agains the governor of Alabama.
 Clashes With Seed
 The settlement by the governor ant the railroad commission of the Ions drawn out controversy between the rail
 roads and the state has proved an issue MT. Conner immediately charged that tn settlement was a move to eliminate tn chief plank in his platform, the regu llation and control of railroads. He als, charged that the settlement was disa q va ntageous to the state, that it wa a cowardly surrender of the rights o the people"
 MT. Henderson, who is president O the commission, Immediately charged tha MT Conner was sore in that the set clement of the ''railroad rate war; lief h,m without an issue. lie charged also that while MT. Conner has bitterly as sailed the commission for its settlement its settlement differed in no essential re spect from that made by Conner when h, was governor
 Comer's Characteristic Campaign l The railroad rate question has beer the issue, according to Mir. Comer MT Seed has contended that prohibition wa. 1 the issue. MT. Henderson and Captain Kolb have contended that the issue i. l '.prosperity, a state need" 1 The Alabama Anti-Saloon league early got its hand into the pie.
 With characteristic indirecton, 1t in dorsed two candidates. 1t indorsed MT | Seed because MT Seed said prohibition 1 was the issue. It indorsed Mr. Conner de spite the fact that MT. Conner said tha prohibition was not the issue. It indorset | MT. Conner, it is generally believed, be l cause it's astute leaders believed tha MT. Conner was stronger than MT. Seed. l It has been charged that in his eff l forts to secure the nomination. MT. Co lner has played first with the prohibit
 tionists and next witp the local option ists MT. Henderson and MT I<olb ar, | avowed local optionists.
 Neither has publicly stated, however that he would veto a statewide prohi
 hition bill were one to be passed b,
 the legislature in its next regular ses l sion.
 The Forbearing Waiter
 From the Chicago Journal.
 l s.rrhat v,a;tar di1p,f fbapl xo,, xx-ha,