Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-01-18
Crooked Politics Is Worst
Thing in the United States
Today Says Defeated Can
didate for Oklahoma Gov
ernorShip.. .- 80.

Al jennings is IN Atlanta chleIfy TO Ilgnt
crooked politics He's mot much" Oh
converts; doesn't believe in religious ex-
citement; thinks young men should be
honest above all else; hates fraud and
is strong for the square deal first, last
and all the time.
That's his creed--the doctrine of a
stalwart man who has seen his brother
shot down in cold blood, who has rob-
bed and plundered with the long riders,
been hunted for the price on his head,
walked in prison clothes and known the
horrors of the "black- hole" but through
it all never betrayed trust or broke a
promise. 49,
Yet .he looks like quiet commuter
whose chief excitement in life is to see
two tomato plants grow where only one
grew before. $3.50
AT least, that was the impression he
conveyed as he sat on a bench in the
Terminal station Saturday and told news
papermen why he had come to Atlanta.
Jennings had just arrived from Mem
phfs. lie was met at the train by DR..
Jacob L. White, pastor of the Baptist
tabernacle, where the outlaw-evangelist
began three weeks revival at IL
O'Clock Sunday morning Each night
thereafter-h he breaches. at 1880 o'clock
Now, as he leaned back against the
bench. and talked, with. a reporter on
either side and opposite him his friend
and press agent, Ben Clinton. his song
leader, A. L. Browning, and an admiring
audience of station employees and police
men. Jennings was distinctly a disap-
pointment, both. in Looks and language
so far as blood and thunder were con-
cerned. ,,:.. ... r,.--.... =.
He was little, his hair was rumpled
red. his face was tanned, 1t was. lined
and freckled, his eyes were swapping
.blue-gray, his lips seemed stronger tnan
the gritty little chin that shot back ana
forth as he conversed, sometimes KNIT
ting his brows, at others breaking INTO
a smile that revealed gold teeth. The
clothes he wore were simple and sober
oyercoat black, hat a. dark blue, tie also
blue. his shoes old style CATERS.
A PLAIN, SIMPLE MAN. t.
(. A plain. simple man you would nave
called him, and so his words revealed
him, too. -,
!, 'Tm not ultra-religious, boys. he
said. mine is a practical relglon.
appeaI not only to church people them
seivas hut those outside the church,
too. I'VE had a past and by that past
I try to show folks how to be square.
He was asked what in his opinion does
The Young man of today need most.
"He needs to be honest, especially
honest with himself. 1 hate frauds ana
hIypocrites' .,,, .,,,, oo,r-
try today" Jennings continued; speak (
ing. quietly and yet earnestly. Ihere
more downright .crookedness In the
United States, 1 guess, than anywhere
on the globe. Politics is to blame
crooked politics. Our political system
is rotten and it makes, our people rot
ten" .-t -"
Jennings said the church should keep
out of politics. $50 long. as our lead
ing religious lights .truckle to money
and power, so long will religion fall'
he declared. .-, 49,.
He attributed to this cause the fail
ure of the church to appeal to men as
1t once appealed.
81 want you boys to get this down.
he continued, bending forward. I'm not
hammering at anybody l have no right
10 Judge and 1 claim that no man has
the right to judge me. can only give
nv experiences in the hope that 1t may
lead somebody to be better. I've paid
the penalty for my, wrongs. l served
three years in prison and knew its very
worst. And when l left had to fight
the bitterest sort of prejudice before
made good. I'm not much on converts
Il don't believe in emotional religion.
If I can plant the seed in somebody s
heart I'm satisfied.
THE MAN FROM SING SING.
Then he told the story of the man
from Sing Sing-an incident of re-
vival which he held recently in Brook
| lyn, New York. The man came to him
and told him he happened to hear his
sermon by accident
81 Just got out of Sing Sing" the
man told Al Jennings, land I was deter
mined to kill two men. and go back to
the chair. But. now you've changed
me, Your words have made me see
things right"
That's the class of men 1 reach"
said Jennings, as he finished the story,
''men that ministers can't get"
jennings was interested in the prohi-
bition situation in Georgia. He said
he was a prohibitionist, but was not
sure but that national prohibition is
the only sure way to prohibit.
Jennings is staying at the Y. NJ c.
A. while he is in Atlanta. When he
breaches at the Tabernacle. he will tell
the story of his life. He has plenty of
material, for it has been rich in ex-
perience. Briefly, It is as follows:
Born fifty years ago in West Virginia.
he graduated in law at the University
of West Virginia and went west to Ok
lahoma with his brothers At Wood
ward, Okla, he began to practice. In
1886 he won a case over Temple Hous-
ton. son Of General Sam Houston. In
court he called Temple a liar and slap
ped his face. Later in the day Temple
Houston shot Jennings brother in the
back in bar room brawl.
Jennings turned outlaw in order to
hunt Temple down. He never got him.