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

IIhey need TO pc DrOuSnt III lou
of household in Birmingham
! family to get in touch with SO
good business for both.
Raymond Robins, who tries one party
after another, to the contrary not
withstanding.
| The attempt to revive the sectional
issue and stage it for vote-getting
purposes will be soon laughed off the
boards.
TTHERE is inspiration for novel
u of the "avenging conscience
sort in the life of Judge Henry V.
Freeman of Chicago, who died recent
Nv on a train near Grand Rapids,
Mich, More than twenty years ago
Judge Freeman sentenced three men
to the peniten-
Judye Who Was tiary for life,
Stricken by Remorse who were
charged with
murder. Later he became convinced
that thew were innocent and his re-
morse was so great that it wrecked his
health. For many years he was SICK
man. due entirely, his family thinks, to
grieving over the fate of the three
prisoners whom he believed not guilty
Judge Freeman fought for the re-
lease of the men after ~ became con-
WINGED of their innocence. One died IN
prison The other two were paroied
wear ago. Twenty years behind the
bars for a crime someone else COM
mitted, as the judge thought, was
| terrible fate. The two men who sur
yived and are now free doubtless ex-
plated their crime, if they were guilty.
But there was no restitution the
Judge could make them for their
broken lives. They might forget, but
he could not. 1t is singular case and
one that inspires quite as much SYM
pathy for the unfortunate judge as for
the men whom he believed unJustly
punished.
NNTHILE only the election returns
wv will disclose the extent to
which progressives followed Colonel
Roosevelt back into the republican
camp, Mr.. Hughes and his campaign
manager are fearful lest very large
percentage of
Colonel Roosevelt and them are go
the Progressive Vote ing to vote
for President
Wilson. The distress signal is already
appearing in New York and repub-
Ilican leaders are urging the colonel to
take a more active part in the can
yass that he had promised at the out
set.
1t is a question whether Roosevelt's
presence on the stump is helpful to
the republican cause. Thousands OF
voters who quit the standpatters ana
followed the colonels standard in
1912 would not have deserted the old
party had not the arch-bolter con-
WINGED them that it was boss-ridden
! and rotten to the core. Roosevelt
seemed to be in earnest. and having
caused a landslide detection those who
had cut loose from the regular or
panization at his bidding, or many Of
them at any rate, will not only keep
clear of their former republican al
llegiance, but they must naturally feel
/
angered at the betrayal in June last.
If the colonel could have found any
reasonable excuse for taking back
what he had said about the G. O. P.
| his action would have excited little
comment. If the party that was so
vile in 1912 had reformed-if crush
ling defeat had chastened it-Colonel
Roosevelt would have been justified
in reaffiliating with it, but it is con-
trolled today by Penrose, Crane,
Barnes and Root Just as it was four
years ago. The organization is still
directed by the interests" and if
Hughes should be elected the stand
pat ring would have everything its
own way. Social justice for which
the colonel has a passion would be
brushed aside and my policies" would
all go into the discard.
The colonel never regarded con-
sistency as a jewel, and his admirers
looked upon his inconsistency as a
manifestation of genius rather than
weakness. Yet, after all apologies
are made by his friends at the pres
ent juncture, and political observers
cannot but sympathize with that stead