The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
SAYS RIVALS ARE NOT IN HARMONY
 W|THPRES|DENT '|i
Horace Hood Thinks Four Should Retire From Race "and Save
 Bacon"

Horace Hood of Montgomery, candi- date for delegate at large to the St. Louis convention, last night issued 8 statement in which he claims Messrs, Allen Sprag- ins, Ruslton and Willett are not in har- mony with President Wilson. MT. Hood writes:
 Tn their open card to the public, re- cently published, Messrs. B. M. Allen, R. E. Spragins, Ray Rushton and J. J. Willett. candidates for delegates at large to the national convention, put them- selves on record as endeavoring to force tie liquor question into the campaign, while those whose democracy they ques- toned had openly disclairned any such purpose and had pledged themselves to oppose it's introduction into the national convention, and if carried into the con- Vention, to oppose any effort from what ever source to get it into the platform ln any shape or form
 In their published card they sought to justify their candidacy on the pretext that it would not be fair to MT. Wilson that prohibitionists not in harmony with the Presidents views on this subject should be sent to St. Louis. They omitted to state that they themselves were not in harmony with the President--a very serious if not fatal omission as we shall attempt to show.
 They quote the President as being a local optionist, as one who with un- fa'tering fidelity has adhered to the great essential principle which has distinguished the democratic party since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the maintenance of the doctrine of local self-government,' but having put the President. on the CfDt s,, i, l.: l. given his entire evidence his entire po- sition this question, even though it put them out of the running-out of the present unseemly contest which they have forced blindly themselves and with uEreasoning haste-certainly- without the approval or knowledge of the President and his friends.
 If their real purpose was to protect the interests of the President and save him from embarrassment at St. Louis, or, If they are really in any way con- cerned about the wishes or desires of the President as they claim, they would, it appears to us, have read and not oflly printed his entire statement on the liquor question, but followed his advice and kept out of the present contest.
 Here is the omitted part of the Presi-. dents letter, in which he warns his friends and party against the very steps the 'affinitles' have taken in Alabama {:
 But the questions involved are social and moral and are not susceptible of pelng made parts of party programmes Whenever they have been made the sub. Ject matter of party contests they have cut the lines of party organizations and party action athwart to the utter con fusI0n of political action in every other field.
 They have thrown every other ques- tion, however important into the back ground and have made constructive party action impossible for long years to- gether. So far as am concerned, sthere- fore, I never can consent to have the question of local option made an issue between political parties in this state. My Judgment is clear in this matter. I do not believe that party programmes of the highest consequence to the political life of the state and nation ought to be thrust to one side, hopelesny embarrassed for long periods by making 8 political issue of great question which is essentially nonpolitical, nonpartisan, moral and so- cal in It's nature.'
 Tt will be seen while MT. Rushton and the other three gentlemen are trying to break into the national democratic con- vention on the local option issue, they are going directly against the wishes of MT. Wilson.
 Why should MT. sRushton and his as- sociates insist, in view of the known at- titude of the President, on forcing the issue in Alabama and declaring it cannot be side-stepped in the national conven- tion?
 First, we were told that a delegation must be selected to St. Louis composed of men who would vote to thwart the alleged designs of MT. Bryan upon the party-who they declared would attempt to defeat the nomination of MT. Wilson.
 Driven from that position by the state- ment of MT. Bryan that he was going to support Mir. Wilson in the St. Louis convention and that there would be no other candidate, they then
 Second declared MT. Bryan would at- tempt to have the national convention put in it's platform plank indorsing the nationwide amendment to the federal constitution.
 When MT. Bryan made known his posi- tion on this point, declaring he was op- posed to bringing the prohibition question before the convention and would oppose any movement of the kind them
 "Third, they told us that the friends of the administration in Washington had asked MT. Forney Johnston to 'hano. pick the delegation to the national con- vention from Alabama to protect the Presidents interests
 "When Postmaster General Burleson of the Presidents official family denied that ne or any one autnOrlzed 10 speak TOT the administration had selected any one to intermeddle in Alabama affairs; when he said: want to assure you that I am not taking any part, neither is the ad miiristration. in any factional contest in any state.' and added he would be thor oughly satisfied with any action the democracy of Alabama would take; when Secretary Humility wrote to Borden Burr that the President has taken. and wished to take, no part whatever in such con- tests and he is very much dis tressed that anybody should represent him as either favoring or opposing par ticular candidates for the national con vention.' then
 Fourth. they fell back into their last trench, claiming that MT. Wilson favored local option, and they (White. Denson Carmichael and Hood) are not in har- mony. therefore. with MT. Wilson on a question that will undoubtedly come be- fore the convention, and if the conven- ton dallies with it. if 1t side-steps it. the reelection of one of our greatest Presidents will be imperiled
 And now that the fact is disclosed that candidates who happen to be prohi- ritionists are in harmony with the views of Mir. wilson on this question, which is declared by Mir. Wilson to be essentially nonpolitical. nonpartisan. moral ana so- cial in it's nature.' and should not be made m issue between the parties, thus driven