The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-24
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

The political pow-wow begins to get hind candidates
 Men left in the race are not taking kindly to the suggestion that 1t Is up to still another to get out because a few leading citizens make the request in the interest of the man they want.
 
 One of the bitterest church fights ever had hand in began by few leading members getting together to call a pastor. The man they named was In every way worthy, but the rank and file. for 1t was in Baptist church, which is pure democracy, said nay, we be- lieve we will take hand in the selec- tion. and they did and got man of their own choosing.
 
 Now, it's always a dangerous proposi- tion for any body of men to rise up in democracy and virtually announce to the people that they are not able to pick a candidate, and therefore it would be wisdom on their part to step aside and
 
 capable.
 Just let anyone begin to name the lead ing citizens of a community and he will surely get into trouble by including soma that ought not to be named and leaving out some who ought to be included. Some self-seekers are apt to deceive themselves and think they are leading citizens, when the community is unwilling to concede it. Modesty prevents others from mak- ing the claim for themselves when they are really entitled to it. Any man who makes it for himself or his clique is likely to run into snag.
 I once knew an eccentric fellow who stood on a street corner in a little city that prided itself on being a God-fear- ing place. and challenged anyone pass ing to name six men who were fitted for heaven. It looked mighty easy, but as the crowd grew the names of many candidates put forward were withdrawn, l because the crowd began to challenge their christianity, and though he stuck to his post the entire day, when dark fell the community had failed to get up a half dozen to pass through the pearly gates. I was present, aiding and abet- ting. It started out as joke, but the town went to bed ashamed and saddened. Go back to the Old Testament and you will find that the Hebrews would have a | king to rule over them, although they were warned that his rule would be more oppressive than that of the priests. They l got monarch to show the priests that | they could no longer control them, and ever since that time the Jews have loved l freedom, though the Lord knows they have enjoyed little of it at the hands Of so-called Christian nations until recently.
 
 | It's a deep-rooted instinct in man that he wants to have word as to who shall govern him. The world is feeling l after democracy, not the shadow but the substance This is the underlying cause of the great war China and Russia to- day are in the midst of great upheayals because men are getting awake to thei rights as citizens.
 Paul of old boasted that he was a cit izen of no mean city. and when beatel and imprisoned, and ordered released, h stood on his rights as a Roman, ant forced the magistrates to come and le him out, and put fear into their soul because they had beaten openly. con demned a Roman. It's a poor man wh won't stand on his rights; its a poo man who will stand aside and let other tell him for whom he shall vote. Readers of history will recall that eve the people in country like Spain wei comed back Ferdinand joyously, in spit of his being altogether depraved as man and oppressive as king, becaus they would not allow Napoleon to pu , over them king whom they had nc chosen, although his rule would hay been better.
 Now, I respect many of the men wh Z are picking candidates for the peopl , and I am not writing this to cast an } aspersion on any man selected; but I al o test against hand picked" candidate : in a democracy, for believe it's an i'm l pertinence and an interference in tE : rights of the great mass of conamo people, one of whom I am which, fe t I believe it's both law and good mora . for them to control their own goveri |, ment.
 It's too easy for leading citizens who
 not make a business of politics to let few sharp-sighted men combine secret . l with one another and put forth ca . didate who will serve their interests p litically, socially or financially. l ha' :. seen too many good and innocent mt :. hoodwinked by willy political manipulate
 until the very elect were deceived in
 thinking that they were doing publ a service.
 From which we may learn that u Y rulers of the city, although they are cleo q ed by the people in many instances a really determined beforehand by certa U men representing selfish interests W U give their attention to matters of u l. kind. but who keep in the backgrou
 while using men of standing and t le people, however free they may thi n themselves, do but carry out the W e of these men.
 l. I am no corporation batter, am
 demagogue but I am frank to say tf ,e in a municipal election no class d