The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-01
Ground Swelf' Making It.
self Felt so Strongly
That Complete ROut
Is Now Indicated
DEVELOPMENTS OF
WEEK IMPORTANT
FOR CURRENT RACE
HObsOn's Drastic Charges Are Grad
ually Being Disproved by Pres
entation of Facts Which Are
Beyond Dispute
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS

1t is a ground SWELL
Mr.. Hobson, from present indications,
is destined to receive one of the most
annals of the state.
There were developments last week.
l. C. S. Hamlin. assistant Secre-
tary of the Treasury, publicly stated
that cotton bagging and ties, as a
result of provisions in the Under
wood tariff bill. are now being ad-
mitted free into the United States.
Mr. Hobson has declared that I'm
derwood took the tax off liquor and
put it on the bagging and ties of the
farmer"
:, 2. The Ludlow Manufacturing as
sociates, Ill Devonshire street, Boston,
makers of bagging. In letters to r.
II. and w. C. Agee, merchants of
Selma, presented the attitude of the
trusts. Those associates declared that
cotton bagging and ties are on the
free list, complained that as a result
of the Underwood bill they are forced
TO compete with pauper and convict
labor of foreign countries, and pre-
dicted reduced price for bagging
during the ensuing season.
Mr. Hobson has declared that I'm
derwood was the tool of the inter-
ests."
g. Prominent grohibitionists of the
state, members of the Alabama Anti
Saloon league formally rebelled
against the dictatorial policy of that
league, represented that Mr.. Under
wood had prnNpl his rd ON
perance and that prohibition Is not
an issue in the senatorial campaign.
Mr. Hobson has declared that I'm
derwood was a liquor man and that
the issue of the campaign is nation
wide prohibition.
The People Know
As a result, the tide which for some
weeks Gas a matter of fact since Mr..
Underwood began a two weeks speak
ing tour during the holdays) has been
flowing against the Hobson forces, is
now sweeping them into oblivion.
1t cannot be stemmed.
The people of Alabama have learned
that charges preferred against Mr.. I'm
derwood are not sustainable by proof.
The people know that bagging and
ties are on the free list and that bagging
and ties are being admitted at the pres
ent time without duty. They know that
fered his charge that Underwood was a
tool of the interests that the Inter
ests'' were complaining in letters to Ala
bama business men that Mr.. Underwood s
tariff bill had seriously handicapped
them in their enterprise.
There has never been a doubt but that
Mr.. Underwood would win. AS a result
of the Hobson charges, unsustainable
charges, numbers of men have been
driven from the Hobson standard.
The people do not believe that Mr..
Underwood is other than friend of
temperance. They do not believe that
prohibition is an issue in the campaign.
They do believe that it was injected
for reasons of eXpedency.
They have seen that result of
that Injection disruption has occurred
in the ranks of the Anti-Saloon league.
Prohibitionists have resented step
taken for reasons of expediency which
has lessened the force of an organiza-
tion in which they previously had faith.
RAILROAD Attorneys" Charge
The people have not been fooled.
They were told that every railroad
lawyer in Alabama was a supporter of
Mr.. Underwood. The purpose was to
make them believe that Mr.. Underwood
the common carriers.
But the people remembered that Mr..
Underwood has always voted in Con-
gress in the interest of the people as
against the railroads and that some OF
his speeches were used In the campaign
In which Mr. Conner was elected gov
ernor.
And the people recalled that in Gads-
den w. r. Dorch and Amos Goodhue,
late republican nominee for Congress,
both eminent railroad attorneys, are
supporters of Hobson; that in Anniston
Mr.. AclSer. a railroad attorney, is
supporter of Hobson; that his leader IN
jefferson county, Borden Burr. is at
torney for the United States Steel cor
poration, and Henry Fits, one of his
ardent supporters. is a railroad attor-
ney.
And the people weer Informed that
every anti-prohbitionist of the state was
arrayed against Hobson. whereas his
leader in Mobile, James H. Webb. is
attorney for the liquor dealers associa-
tion.
Prohibition an Expedient
And the people were informed that
Hobson was in earnest In regard to his
claim that nationwide prohibition. is an
issue They think thet he infected that
issue in order that he might have a
leg on which to stand.
For they know that although he has
been a member of Congress for seven
wears. it was only after the beginning
of the present campaign, December 10,
to be exact, that Hobson introduced
hy proxy--hs amendment providing for
nationwide prohibition.
They know that he furnished Captain
white, in the senatorial campaign of
1910. with his mailing list for the Sixth
district, and suddenly transferred his
affection to John n. Bankhead. an
avowed local optionist, and sincere anti
amendist"
They know that he did not vote for
the constitutional prohibition amend
ment althourh he was within hailing
distance of his voting place. They Fr
that he wrote such a weak letter in the
interest of Colonel Mallory. the prohibi-
tion candidate for governor. letter
which contained expressions of warm ad-