The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-03
Slaughtered!
O'Neal Candidates Went Down Right and Left in the
 April Primary
Henderson, the Last of Them, Will Feel the Full Force of the Peoples Wrath Monday Week-His Defeat Inevit- able

The people registered their verdict on the O'Neal administration in the April pr imary," said a man who is not pol itician, but close observer of political 4, events '"The slaughter of O'Neal can
 didates was terrific. This applies to candidates for county offices as we'll as those for state offices. Look at what happened to men in Jefferson county who were in sympathy with the O'Neal administration and you will see what happened all over Alabama-the ONeal men were swept off the board. Many of them were good men. but the handi- cap was too heavy for them, and they, went down in defeat.
 "HendersOn Should Have Withdrawn"F "In view of this I am surprised that MT. Henderson did not withdraw when
 the results of the April primary became
 known. He must know that his poli- tical fortunes are so closely bound with the ONeal administration he is gen. earlly regarded as the crown prince or heir apparent of that administration.
 Hence if a man ever had defeat prog
 nosticated for him. MT. Henderson got | it in the returns of the April primary. 'The fate which befell Julian and Me, Cord his associates on the railroad commission, should have been sufficient warning for MT. Henderson, in spite of the fact that he had qualified for the
 second primary. While he has to thank | the local option vote for getting him
 in the run-off, he cannot close his eyes | to the fact that many local option votes
 also helped to bury Julian and McCord. l We will scratch them off, anyway.s, they said. Local option is dead issue
 now-for the present at least-and tho 1 tie that bound local optionists to MT. lHendarS0n
 chief source of support thus sapped. how MT. Henderson can expect any
 thing else but defeat passes my under
 standing, and I venture to say that he
 has read the handwriting on the wall. z
 Comer's Big Gain In Jefferson 7 | ''The gubernatorial race in the first
 primary was marked by complications
 which do not now exist-they were wiped out by the vote of the people.
 MT. Henderson Is now squarely before
 the voters for judgment as one of the
 principals in the rate surrender. Gov ernor O'Neal and Julian and McCord have already been rebuked for that
 transaction. How can MT. Henderson 1 hope to escape, with the battle already l. lost on the issue that gave him most
 of his votes in the first primary?
 Take the situation here in Jefferson
 county. No one who has eyes and ears
 will deny that Mir Conner has made l tremendous gains In this county sinco the first primary. Many men who were ] for Henderson before are openly declar- ling for Conner. Others who will vote l for Henderson again are saying, There l Is no chance to beat Conner In thip lcase. certainly, the wish is not fathet, to the thought. The sentiment is changing for Conner even in the min ling camps. When feeling like this gets fin the air as the saying goes, Iflothing can stop it--it is like the spread of fire on dry grass.
 The Lone Mark This Time
 NOW. Governor O'Nears administra- Ition is more unpopular today than lt Twas at the time of the first primary. for the simple reeason that 1t is under II the cloud of defeat. The band wagoRi class of voters have also turned again t, lit. In the first primary the wrath of i the people against the O'Nea1 admin istration was scattered, so to speak, land spent upon great number of can ], didates Tn the second primary 1t will
 be concsnrrated on one man-Hender-
 "WfEts the answer? The same re- Isult &as when a cyclone strikes lone rha( k. Nothing possible to human en- Ho<