The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-06


 if ever man craved to serve the pub lie the cprcl iunity of his life is offered to him in Birmingham
 My friends have urged me to make the race and some have even gone so far as to contribute to campaign fund to get me in as candidate. However, I haven't made any decision as vet and probably will not for few days"
 "On what platform would you run?" he was asked.
 The pink handkerchief was pressed neatly into his breast pocket, his fiaring vermllion tie was carefully adjusted and, placing his chapeau firmly on his head, he leaned on his walking stick and an nounced in that rich melodious voice of his:
 No Bunk" for Him
 "Well, you can bet your bottom dol lar I'm not going to run on an Efficiency and Economy platform. There are 17 can didates already in the commissioners race Every one of them has little card announcing that they favor efficiency and economy It's a cute little card, Which they and their friends hand you in your office or out on the street, but that IS all that can be said about it. Why don't these card d-handlers' come out and talk to the people? None of them dare to show his face to the public, with the exception of Isadore Shapiro, who does come out and inform the public on some of the coarse work that has been pulled off in the city hall in the past few years. Tell me what is the use of announcing on a platform of efficiency and economy" A candidate who does this must certainly take the public for 'boobs,' as it follows quite naturally that anyone who is run ming for public office is for efficiency and economy in the administration of public affairs But from time immemorial the professional office-seeker or corporation hireling has gotten away with this antique, stuff of merely having a little card print ed announcing efficiency and economy. and slide into office because all the others were doing the same thing and the pub lie had no choice but to elect one of these efficiency and economy' fellows
 Well, what will you do?" he was asked.
 .1f decide to make the race said Scott, Pm going to make an average of six speeches a day in all parts of the city. I'm not going to knock. But I am going to talk to the people as my fellow men I'm going to say to them, let's req son this thing out, folks Here we have a city heavily in debt We are paying the highest taxes and getting less for our money than any othef clty III the United States. What is the matter?
 Things We Don't Get
 'eWe have to pay to send our chill 6ren to school. We have to pay for street lights and don't get them. We pay for police protection but don't get it. These are distressing facts, gen. tlemen. and are matters for the voters not the intelligent voter, as the in- telligent voter is the biggest boob in the world--but the plain, average cit izen and man of family to cogitate over and figure to himself which of the bunch of announced efficiency and economy experts he is going to vote for. I'm going to the people as plain mana little dressed up, perhaps (with smile)--but with sincerity and the conviction that I can serve.' / But don't you think that the fact that you are baseball umpire and er--er rather dressed up, IS you say, would be against you?' said the re- porter.
 q really do not know about that. replied Scott. "as the fact that am not a lawyer may prove a handicap with certain element. The public may not like my plain words about their