The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-16
Charges Against Him Were Result of His Intense
 Political Activity
NO PROOF GIVEN
 OF THEIR TRUTH
Department Deluged With Messages Against Him Because of His Op- position to Constitutional
 Prohibition Amendment
By c. E. STEWART

ny (s E. SlE w AMI
 Washington, May 15.-(Speeial.) )-Tom Long, long in the service of the demo- cratic party in Alabama. and probably one of the best known stump speakers in the state, Is a striking example as a vic- tim of political enemies. MT. Long has been a candidate for the United States marshalship of the northern district for sometime and his ambition to secure that office received the Endorsement of practically all of the leaders of the party in the state. He had the Endorsement and strong support of Senator Bankhead and Representative Underwood. Judge Clay Besides these hundreds of state and county leaders besieged the department Of Justice to appoint him.
 Mir. Long was opposed in his ambition by the governor whose opposition he aroused by the formers attitude two years ago on the convict policy of the governor He was also opposed by the Rev. Brooks Lawrence, the head of the Ant-Saloon league in Alabama, because of Mir. Longs activities in the fight four years ago on the constitutional amend ment providing constitutional prohibition in Alabama
 Charges Against Him
 The principal charges against Mir Long were that he was opposed to the churches and schools of his own state It was alleged that he had denounced ministers of the gospel. and arrayed him. self in opposition to the dissemination of education. In support of these charges and in protest against the appointment of MT. Long. the leaders of the fight against him assailed the department of justice with a deluge of letters and telegrams from various sections of the state. While MT. Long had the strongest in- dorsement of any candidate before the department of justice, he had also the strongest opposition. The department arrived at the conclusion that the ap- pointment of MT. Long as United States marshal would be antagonistic to the wishes of a large number of citizens in Alabama. and eliminated him as a possi- bility upon that ground. MT. Long fur nished a strong array of evidence in refu- tation of the charges brought against him. but the question of his guilt or innocence was not gone into by the department. The department determined his case purely on the principle that 1t Is the attitude of the administration not to dppolUt u IeueTdi Oll1C1dl WHO WOu1u De distasteful to any material part of the people of his state.
 Because of the wide support Mir. Long received in his effort to be appointed United States marshal. and in justice to those who gave him this support, to say nothing of MT. Long himself 1t ought to be stated that his failure to obtain the appointment was not due to a substan- tiation of the charges against him--one of which was intempera nee
 Mir Long furnished evidence that he had not been thinker for two years He furnished evidence that he has supported the cause of education by his vote in the legislature of Alabama on more than one occasion. and by digging down into his own pocket and by promoting popular subscription for the support of the local schools in his home town. He furnish ed evidence that he had been the prime mover and one of the principal contrib u:ors In the building of a finely equipped churclfin his home town. which was given free of cost or obligation to the North Alabama conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. He furnished other evidence that he had always been a consistent supporter of the Methodist church in his home town, to which he belonged. This testimony was made by the pastor of his own church.
 Neither Gives Nor Asks Quarter
 
 Tn a political fight Mir Long has the reputation of giving no quarter, or asking none He Is either always on one side or the other. and there is no chance of misunderstanding his attitude. By the vigor of his assaults and strong flavor of his delivery he has become the most cordially hated man in the state by those against whom he has turned his scathing opposition. In the prohibition fight MT. Long took the local option side. and he used strong terms in denomcing some of the preachers who. in his opinion. neglected their church duties for the field of politics. He maintains. however. that he was assailing individuals. and not the organized Christian church. to which he had always given his unqualified sup port.
 Anyway, the fight over the marshalship for the northern district is an echo of the bitter prohibition campaign when the attempt was made to put into the consti- tuition of the state an inhibition against the sale of liuuor forever. It is a correct illustration of the bitterness and preju- dice that can he aroused over the aues- ton of prohibition which is not attrfbu- table to the same degree to any other political issue The result neither de- cides Mir Longs fitness nor his unfltness for the position of United States mar shal. It merely proves that while he has made a lot of friends during his unusli- . 1lx, ,<vftuo y,,JstfcaI career. that he a1so