The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-03
FIGHT IN THE THIRD |. CAUGHT ATTENTION
 OF ENTIRE STATE Mulkey's Friends Irritated by Endorsement of Bull
 Moose Committee MAJORITY NOT AS
 LARGE AS FIGURED Defeat of Evans and Fraser Inci- dentally Calls Attention to Two
 More State Appointees
 Walking the Plank
By HUGH ". RoaERTs

Fr-.
 The congressional campaign of the Third district, concluded Monday was of sufficient interest to attract tbe at tention of the state as a whole. There Were great many elements entering irto the situation, and each contributed It's prorata of excitement. In the first piaee, attention was attracted by vir- tue or the causes which led up to the extra inning game of politics which was played. In the second place. at tention was attracted by virtue of the personnel of the candidates, and the va rious factors which figuring in the struggle, tended to win or lose for them.
 The Third district when it elected w 0. Mulkey to succeed to the expired term of Henry D. Clayton, and H. B. steagal to succeed MT. Mulkey, March 4, 1915, closed campaign which had been raging-though not with the same principals-since last fall. When MT Clayton became candidate for the senate, having changed his mind, re- entered the race for Congress, Mir Steagall declined to run away. In the furious contest which followed. Mr Clayton was victorious. And then Mr Clayton was made judge of the federal court. Thereupon, it became necessary for the Third district again to per form its laborious duty of filling it's congressional seat. For the short term MT Mulkey and J. J. Speight offered For the long term, MT. Steagall, Judge A. A Evans and T. Sydney Fraser of fered. The first named in each in- stance were victorious
 When the second campaign was ini- tiated, 1t was generally believed that Mr. Mulkey would win over MT. Speight by large majority. He won by about 250 votes. In the beginning, it was thought that Judge Evans would be able to hold MT. Steagall to a close contest. Judge Evans ran third and MT. Steagall secured a large majority over his two competitors.
 For the failure of MT. Mulkey to win the honors overwhelmingly, his friends hold responsible that peculiar action of the executive committee of the bull moose faction of the republican party by means of which anti democrats saw proper to indorse his candidacy. This action gave the followers of Mr. Speight an opportunity to refer sig nificantly to the fact that years ago, MT. Mulkey was a republican. The in- dorsement rendered MT. Mulkey irri- tdted him, it is said. and his follow CTS.
 It became necessary for the latter to let it be known that MT. Mulkey had not sought the Endorsement, and even to deny stories circulated to the effect that at the time the republicans indorsed MT. Mulkey, MT. Mulkey was in Birming- ham.
 The indorsement of MT. Mulkey cost him. it is estimated. many votes. For that Endorsement caused large number of democrats to assume rigid and uncom- promising attitude as If the gage of bat tie had been thrown in their faces. There are very few of the so-called .'progressives" in the Third district. The party scarcely helped itself as a result of its indorsement. The friends of Mulkey are still, it is understood, incensed The friends of Speight, naturally, will continue to remain firm in the ranks of democracy.
 
 As result of the Third district cam paign the number of appointees of the governor of Alabama who have walked the plank is increased by two. The un- successful candidates for the long terms, Judge Evans and MT. Fraser, had pre- viously accepted favors rendered by the chief executive. the former the post of tax commissioner, the latter a coonelcy on the governors staff.
 While the fact that Judge Evans and MT. Fraser were appointees of the gov erner did not cause their defeat, it is significant nevertheless that Mr Steagall, who had received no favors, won so hand somely. Unquestionably some unusual factor made it possible for MT. Steagall to win handsomely. For his opponents were unusually popular and capable men. | Judge Evans, incidentally. has been twice appointed and twice defeated. Some years ago ex-Governor Conner made him a member of the supreme court. Then came the fight for constitutional prohibition and the waning of MT. Comer's star. Judge Evans was beaten for second term