The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-23
WHAT WILL BE B|G ISSUE IN CAMP PAIGN FOR NEXT GOVERNOR Birmingham and Other Cities Already Have Some
 Candidates in View
NO NEW ISSUES ARE
 SEEN ON HORIZON
Corporations and Prohibition Only Questions Which Seem. to Pre- sent Serious Differences
 of Opinion
By LEON c. BRADLEY

Angelic footsteps are wont to be lack ing from pathways fearlessly trod by those of little learning. Likewise, erudite political prophets, far-seeing both fore and aft, dare not make a prediction as to future events at time when men of small vision and little experience forecast the situation with all the confidence of a mathematical certainty.
 All of which is apropos of the guberna- trial situation in Alabama two years in advance of the primary. Knowledge based on past experience forces one to con- clude that strange and unexpected events have sometimes transpired in Alabama politics in less time than two years.
 The entire complexion of the body pol itic has undergone a complete change on more than one occasion in the course of few months. Old alignments are shaken, new issues arise and new lead CTS come forth from the upheaval.
 Such has been the history of state poli- ties in Alabama for the past decade.
 ISSUES NOT DEFINED
 The issues which will confront the vot- CTS in the state primary in August 1918, have not yet been defined with any clar- lty. To be sure, there are certain ques- tons which it now seems certain will play more or less important part, but whether they will be the dominating fac tors in two years remains to be seen
 Prohibition, like Banquo's ghost, will not down. A determined effort is be- ing made by leaders on both sides of this issue to keep it from being the sole de- termining problem in the race and their efforts may tend to minimize it in the eyes of the voters. However no matter what may transpire before the next pri- mary, that question which has racked the people of the state for 10 years will still be echoed and re-echoed from every stump.
 The financial condition of the state, the matter of taxation of all kinds, and possibly the agitation for a new consti- tuition, all seem destined to figure to a greater or less extent. At least the first two of these will depend upon the events transpiring within the next two years as to the importance to be attached to theln The question of new constitution, which has already been preached with more or less favorable consideration, will doubt less become a liver issue as the time passes.
 RAILROAD QUESTION
 And then there are the questions of railroad regulation, freight rates, and cor poraton control in general which may be more or less injected into the campaign. The railroad issue has been a rather live one in this state since 1904. It figured in the last gubernatorial race and in the recent off-year contest for the presidency of the public service commission.
 Nothing has transpired since that time to indicate that it will be entirely without the scope of the coming campaign. That .fo l, be injected into Alabama politics in the future was indicated in the last ses- sion of the legislature by the repeated attacks made on certain interests and the Alabama Power company in particu- lar. Echoes of this were heard in the primary which closed last May. To how great an extent these matters will be agitated depends somewhat upon who the candidates for the governorship ha D. pen to be and partly upon the actions of the corporations themselves in the mean time
 Judging by past races, the larger part of the declarations of the candidates will deal with such platitudinous subjects as good roads, economy, abolition of use less offices, increased appropriations for the old soldiers and for education, ef- ficiency, reduction of taxes, diversifca- ton of crops, and the creation of large surplus in the treasury. On these issues in the past there has been but little diff ference among the contending candidates. and it would create no surprise should harmony again reign in the coming race so far as declarations in favor of all these subjects are concerned.
 NEW ISSUES MAY ARISE
 While, as has been suggested above, new issues may arise which would tend to upset present ulations, there seems to be no reason at this time to antici- pate any material change in the situation now confronting the people of the state The prohibition question is not undergoing any particular change from time to time and will probably remain much as it is for the next two years. The financial condition of the state is far from satis- factory. but promises to improve from time to time. The railroad and corpora ton issues can hardly reach the point ol excitement that existed 10 years ago. bu, will probably be injected into the race to a greater or less extent There would seem. therefore, to be every ground for believing that the present political status will not undergo any revolutionary changes before the next gubernatorial primary.
 At the present time, there is but one man who, it is positively known. will be a candidate for governor in the coming primary. Lieut.. Gov. Thomas E. Kilby of t,k@