The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-03
HOW THE TENTH WILL SOLVE ITS PROBLEM
 IS ABSORBING POINT
Has Set Precedent In Offer ing From District Where He Is Not Even a Nominal Resident
By HUGH W. ROBERTS

Washington, March 3.--(Special. .)-Tha action of R. P. Hobson in crossing his own border and announcing himself candidate from the Tenth district of Ala- bama, is regarded as nine-days' won der in the capital.
 For many years the captain has been considered one of those rare characters whose next step none could anticipate But it is certainly true that not a soul in Washington believed for a moment that the hero of the Merrimac would permit his ambition again to serve in Congress to induce him to offer from district in which he has not even nomi- nal residence.
 Washington is endeavoring to answer properly the question: Why did he not offer in his own district. the election in which will occur on the same date as the election in the Tenth? Will the people of the Tenth support the captain, and thus admit that no man of their own peo- pie possesses sufficiently rare and ex- cellent qualifications to serve them?"
 ROBSON SHOWS UP
 Captain Hobson's last public appearance
 in Alabama was in the spring of 1914. He
 had just undergone a strenuous cam paign for the Senate of the United States against Oscar W. Underwood, and suf- fered the most overwhelming defeat ever
 administered by the people of the state.
 The defeated candidate doffed his chap- eau to the people who. had failed to be moved by his incomparabIe oratory. and departed. If from that date up to tho date of his recent announcement the cap- tain put foot Alabama soil, only that inner circle of immortals'' wss made aware. During the long months of hia disap-
 pearance the people of Alabama did not forget Hobson. They knew in their minds that he was preparing His next step, Everyone figured into Fwhat or
 whose field that step would ,fead him. But it is safe to state that no one seri- | ously believed those lateer-day reports that he would shake the dust of the old Sixth, in which he had been so signaliy honored. for the purpose of again con- fronting a member of that family of which he has never been charged with being unduly fond
 UT lO HE TENTH
 And thus when Hobson actually retired from his own district and entered into another which the legisature-dominate and controlled by that faction of which he himself is regarded as the guiding spirit-declared to be separate and dis tinct from all other districts, Washing ton was shocked. In the south his action is said to be without parallel. He has established precedent in section of the country long of the belief that every subdivision was separate and distinct from the other, and entitled to govern and control itself. He is new Richmond with new idea in a territory embittered by memories of carpetbagger days-days in which the abolitionists of the north sent into the sunny south interruptions adventurers to mlsgovern and abuse. Washington wonders what the verdict of
 the Tenth will be; wonders whether that new subdivision of Alabama will remain
 true to the inherent teachings of the dem- ocratic faith, or refute the most sacred tradition of the southern people.
 It may be source of satisfaction to Continued Page Three)