The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-02-17
ALABAMA CONTEST
DRAWING TO CLOSE
House Leader Leaves Case With
the People.
70 HOLD PRIMARY IN APRIL
Hero of Santiago Bay, However,
Has Waged Personal
Campaign.

Montgo Y, Ala, Feb. 15.-The
seven months campaign between Os-
car w. Underwood, majority leader
of the national house of representa-
tiVes, and Congressman Richmond
Pearson Hobson for the Alabama va
cancy in the United States senate is
drawing to a close. The deciding
votes in a campaign that has attract
ed nationwide interest will be cast
at the Democratic primaries to be
held April 9Th. The actual election
of n senator will not take place until
November 4th, but that will be mere
ly ratification 70 the choice made
at the primary polls.
Mr. Underwood has announced from
Washington that so rar as personal
participation was concerned his cam
paign for a seat in the upper house
OF congress already has ended. Rep
resentative Hobson on the other hand
is carrying forward the personal cam
paign be has been waging for many
months, during which time he has
spoken in nearly every county and
town in the state
The political adhcrents Of the two
distinguished candidates are daily
making Counter-claims of victory.
Careful observers, however, are in
clined to wait the casting of the bal
lots before attempting to name the
successful aspirant to the seat occu-
pied by the late Senator Joseph r.
Johntson.
HOBSON'S SPECTACULAR CARE
Err
Mr. Hobson, once a triking figure
in the navy, and the hero of the San
tiago blockade, resigned from the
service shortly after the Spanish War
in order to undertake a political ca
reer. He was quickly elected to the
house of representatives in Washing
ton and has served several successive
terms. His eyes long ago, however,
were fixed upo1 the senate, and he
is now fnishir painstaking cam
paign to realize that ambition.
Whatever advantage may accure
from actual presence in the thick or
the fight practically from beginning
to end rests with Mr. Hobson.
Friends of Mr.. Underwood however
have used the campaign activities of
Mr.. Hobson as basis for charges
of habitual absenteeism from his du-
ties in Washington. One Of these
friends, w. II. Parker, in his capacity
as citizen and taxpayer, recently
filed protest against Mr. Hobson re-
ceiving his pay as congressman
during the peroid he had been away
from Washington.
Mr.. Underwood spent his Christmas
holidays in Alabama making brief
but vigorous speaking tour. He Gov
cred as much ground as the limited
period of the holiday recess permitted
and then announced that he must re-
turn to his place in the house leaving
his campaign in the hands of his fol-
lowers.
Typical of all latter-day political
campaigns i'm the South, the Hobson-
Underwood campaign has been more
or less involved with the question of
statewide prohibition. Mr. HObson
has charged his opponents with hav-
ing been influenced by the 'liquor
interests" He also charged that cor
poration influence was behind the
campaign OF Mr.. Underwood for the
presidential nomination in 1912. All
OF these charges have been denied by
Mr.. Underwood.
\ short time ago there was pros
pect OF several joint debates between
~, two candidates and the state was
greatly excited over the prospect Mr..
Hobson has issued repeated chal-
lenges from the stump, but Mr.. Un-
derwood announced that he could
not indulge In any such campaign in
favor of the demands made upon him
in Washington.
The senatOrship ,ght also is in
vovled, more or less, with the race
for governor OF the state, which like
wise will be decided at the April pri-
maIies There are FIVE gubernatorial
candidates in the field and the cam
paign has been more bitter than that
waged by the Hobson- Underwood
followers.
Former Gov. b. b. Conner claims
to be making the race for governor
against the rest OF the field. 1t Will
be necessary for the successful candi-
date TO obtain a majority OF the votes
cast in the primary. The large num-
Der or candidates in the field makes
it doubtful If this can be accomplish
ed despite the claims OF the various
campaign managers Realizing this
condition of affairs, the Democratic
state committee has arranged for a
second primary If necessary to de-
eide between the two candidates for
governor receiving highest number
of votes at the first balloting.
In addition to former Governor
Conner, those who seek the nomina-
ton for governor are Walter D. Seed
of Tuscaloosa now lieutenant-gover-
nor; II +. Kolb OF Montgomery state
commissioner of agriculture and in
dustires; Chales Henderson of Troy,
president of the state railroad com
mission and John II. Wallace Jr of