The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-26

A CcoRDING to. recent dispatches
IN from the Belgian front, King
uAlbert. the knightliest of all Europes
rulers, has aged under the cares ana
RESPONSIBILITIES of his harassed people.
land we'll may his hair turn gray MS
own fallen for
War Has Aged tunes wouio NC
p.,v;um,s King enough to shat
ter a king in
whom pride of station was paramount
hut Albert feels the sufferings OF ms
people keenly. Like his Queen their
troubles are his troubles, only IN
greater measure.
And there is pathos in the stern de-
Votion with which the Belgian King
still clings to the strip of territory
where flies the Belgian flag, poor
kingdom indeed, but all that is left OIL
his prosperous domains, land where
peace and industry were thought IN
separable.
It is said that Albert never leaves
Belgian soil. If the King OF England
or the President of France wish to see
him, they must travel to the corner
bv the User, where the Belgian ruler
waits his destiny.
NF the states admitted by the re-
W publicans to be doubtful Indiana
and West Virginia have strong demo-
cratic leaning, and Illinois, that had
been listed as sure for Hughes, is al
most as likely to go for Wilson as In
diana. Prior to
Regarding Some of 1912 Illinois had
the Doubtful States been carried by
t h e democrats
only once in a presidential election,
and that was in 1892 when Cleveland
swept the country Therefore that
state has been rightly called repub-
lican. But Wilson will need only
third of the progressive vote of four
years ago to have decisive plurality
this time, and conservative estimates
indicate that he may do at least that
well. In 1912 Illinois gave Wilson
405. Taft 253,613 and Roosevelt
E86,47s.
At the beginning of the campaign
West Virginia seemed leaning to the
republicans, but the tide is said to be
turning. Less than fourth of the
progressive vote added to Wilson's
vote of 1912 would give the state to
the democrats next November.
Pleasing reports come from Ne
braska, and as for the far west, Idaho
and California are said by progressive
observers to be safely democratic.
The republicans will keep up a fight
in California, but they are about
ready to concede the state to Wilson.
New Jersey is still doubtful and
New York still more doubtful. 1t
might be possible for the democrats
to win without New York, but only
possible. AS New York goes so will
go the union.
1F this has been an exceptionally
y bad year for the cotton growers
of Alabama, as result of the Excess
sive rainfall in July and the ravages
of the boil weevil, there is much en-
couragement in the outlook for 1917.
The commission
Encouragement for err of agriculture
Alabama Farmers and industries, j.
A. Wade, in his
circular letter of advice to farmers,
seeks to impress upon them that it
will require a million bales Of cotton
a year to keep Alabama in normal
financial condition, and very cheering
is his belief that the worst is over
insofar as the weevil is to be consid-
cred.
Crop diversification will always
mean increasing prosperity for the
farmers Of the cotton belt, and along
with the campaign of education has
come an appreciation of the fact that
with better farming methods more cot
ton can be produced to the acre than
formerly. Commissioner Wade insists