The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-08
FEW SURPRISES IN STATE CAMPAIGN
 ENDING TUESDAY Democrats Swept State and Republicans Ran Second.
 Progressives Third REPUBLICANS WIN
 IN A FEW COUNTIES Democrats Not Entirely Harmonious. Much Criticism of Both Tyler
 Goodwin and Bibb
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

The state campaign which was ter minated in the general election of Tuesday resulted in few surprises Dem ocrats swept the state, republicans ran second and progressives third. In some counties, notably Jefferson, the pro gressives ran fourth, having yielded place to the socialists.
 Democrats won the Seventh congress sional district. at one time considered close. handily. Republicans elected James Higgins, local optionist, state senator from the Third district, over F. E. St. John. democrat and prohibi- tionist. Republicans carried Winston county, progressives carried Chiffon and republicans in Blount managed to put their candidate for sheriff across.
 The indications are that democrats carried Shelby county, defeating Judge A r. Longshore, the political leader, who might have been handicapped in his leadership as result of his can didacy for the United States Senate.
 Campaign Without Funds
 The democratic campaign was un- der the guidance of the democratic campaign committee of which W. D. Nesbitt of Birmingham was chairman. The campaign was actively waged, .l- though less money was spent by the organization than by any other dem ocratic organization in the history of the state. This was due to the fact that as a result of the old executive committee turning back to candidates practically all of the residue of the original assessments, the campaign committee had no funds. As a matter of fact, Tyler Goodwin. before he re- tired as chairman of the executive com mittee, turned over to the campaign committee the sum of 5000. As a re- suit it was impossible for the campaign committee to give material aid to dem ocrats in the several counties where democrats were hard pressed. It is req sonable to presume that had the com mittee had more money the next sher- If of Blount county would be a dem ocrat. F. F. St. John, democrat would be the next senator from the Third dis trict, and tho progressives would have been routed in Chiffon county.
 MT. Nesbitt when he served as chair man of the state democratic executive committee initiated the practice of re- turning funds to candidates who had been assessed for the purpose of the democratic primary. However, he TO- served 0 large sum of money to be used in behalf of the ticket by the campaign committee for the general election. Mir Goodwin, as is known, was beaten in the primary for re- election as chairman of the executive committee.
 No Democratic Enthusiasm
 The democratic party, as matter of fact, was not entirely harmonious within it's own ranks. In the first place there was more or less covert criti- cism of MT. Goodwin in that he had reserved no real funds for the use of the campaign committee, the allegation being that after his defeat he appar- ently became indifferent. hnd In the second place there was more or less covert criticism of Bibb Graves, newly elected chairman of the democratic ex- ecutive committee. in taht in making his appointment of campaign commit supported B. B. Conner and opposed the nominee, Charles Henderson
 General Graves explained during the campaign that he felt himself instruct ed to appoint the campaign committee from the membership of the executive committee This necessarily, he argued, preciuded the appointment of Sam Ken nedy. who had managed MT. Hender- sons campaign in the primary, as cam paiEn manager for the general cleo ticns. Those who were prone to criti- cize, however. contended that even If he had confined his appointments to the membership of the executive commit tee he could have found a Henderson man, member of the committee, who could have served as chairman of the campaign committee: for instance. John Gamble.
 There was no criticism, of course, Of Mr. Nesbitt, chairman of the com mittee, or any of his associates. For it was generally recognized that as a committee the one named could not have been improved upon.