Evening journal., 1914-04-06
UNDERWOOD AND
HOBSON FIGHT ON
Alabama Congressional Dis
trict Picking Its Repre-
sentative Today
SANTIAGO HERO
ENLIVENS CAMPAIGN
By The United Press.


wrought up over politics as in the
Statewide Democratic primary cleo
tions held today. lntrest centered
in the contest of Representative Os-
car w. Underwood, OF Birmingham,
Democratic floor leader of the Ma
tional House of Representatives, and
Representative Richmond Pearson
Hobson. of Greensboro. hero of
Santiago Bay" for the nomination for
u. S. Senator TO succeed the late
Senator Johnston. The nomination
is equivalent to election. A full
State ticket, from governor down.
and Representatives in all districts.
were to be chosen by the Democratic
voters today. AS a rule the Re
publicans did not figure today. In
the motions" All Democratic nomi-
nations at stake today, however, are
equivalent to election at the general
election next fall.
The polls are opened at 9 o'clock
today and close at D. m. Indications
were that heavy vote would be cast.
particularly because of the injection
of the liquor question into the Hob
son-Underwood and other factional
fights. Managers of both the Hobson
and Underwood candidates. conf
IDENTIFY predicted success. Under
woods managers claimed at least
fifty of the sixty-seyen counties. Hob
son closed a spectacular campaign
Saturday. He used automobiles and
motorcycles to speak in practically
every city, village and hamlet. Under
wood spent a fortnight in the State.
several months ago, making IS
speeches. oscar w. Underwood.
the man on the job" has been his
campaign cry. Emphasis has been
laid on his continual presence at
duty in Washington while HobsOn has
been absent almost constantly from
the Capital since the campaign began,
stumping the State.
Injection of national political issues
into the Hobson- Underwood contest
has added to the fireworks Hobson
has accused Underwood Of opposing
woman suffrage, national prohibition
and legislation to abolish cotton
exchange gambling. Underwood has
stood for local option on the liauor
question, cOntended that woman suf-
frage is a State and not national
issue. and stood champion for a sub
stitute plan to regulate cotton gamb-
ling which he contended, was ap-
| proved by President Wilson and party
! leaders. The wet" and dry" fight
and that relating to woman suffrage
has aroused the rural population par
( ticularly. Underwood is expected 10
draw his greatest strength from the
cities on his local option stand. His
service for eighteen years in the
House, mis- work in drawing the Will
SON Underwood tariff bill, and as the
"favorite son" of Alabama I'm the
late contest for the Presidential
nomination at Baltimore are drawing
cards for Underwood. That Hobsun
mas been absent from Congress, on
the Chautauqua circuit for weeks and
even months at a time, is the princi-
pal absenteeism criticism made by
the Underwood campaigners They
have also charged Hobson with adj
vocating enfranchisement OF negroes
by espousing the direct election of the
President, and tWit Hobson for vot-
ing TO reinstate the negro regiment
which shot up Brownville, Tex.
Regardless of results at the poll,
today, both Hobson and Underwood
retire from the House on March 4
next. They cannot run for the Housi
and Senate at the same time. an,
their successors will be named today
Candidates to succeed Underwood II
the House are Nathan X. Miller. Jeri
G. King and George Huddleston. o
birmingham, and George Darden, o
Cneonta Miller is the "favorite.' III
IS a close friend of Underwood. but Il
running on a dry" platform. whil
Jere c. King, not an Underwood clans
man. is running on a wet" platform
Both are former members of the Stat
legislature. Huddleston was a mem
Der of the local city council and Oar
den served in the Alabama House o
Representatives.
In Hobson's district. William Bank
head, son of the U. S. Senator, of Jas
per, Ala. and William Oliver, of Tus
kaloosa, county attorney. are candi
dates to succeed Hobson Young Bank
head has the support of the so-calleC
"Bankhead- Underwood machine" Tha
between $4,000 and $4,000 votes woult
be cast in Underwood's district-th,
J Birmingham district-was predicted
today The fight for the gubernatoria
nomination between former Governor
Braxton Bragg Conner and former
Lieutenant Governor Walter d. SeeC
hinges largely upon the prohibition
question. They have resOrted to acut,
personalities. Conner. who is 63 years
of age. having drawn a knife ant
threatened Seed at Dadeville. accord
ing to reports. Governor O'Ncal, ac.
cused OF being a wet" is agains
Conner, a dry"
Close contests we're expected toda,
in the congressional districts of Rep
resentatives Henry d. Clayton, chair
man of the national House judiciary
committee, in charge of some of th'
administrator antitrust bills; Rep
. resentatiye John L. Burnett, of Gads
den; Representative T.. L. Blackmon
OF : Admission: Representative S. Hu
bert Dent. of Montgomery. and Rep
resentative George Taylor, of Demo
polis Representative ]. Thoma
Hefiin. OF Lafayette, is without oppo
sition, although some fight is beini
made upon Hefin because Of his pro
nounced opposition to woman suf
frage. Representative Richardson. o
Huntsville. is not candidate for re
election.
Representative Clayton's district
a storm center. The vote is expecte
to be extremely close. His opponent |
Henry S. Stengall. OF Ozark. a youn
attorney, who entered the race aftc