The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-04
SOME DIsAGREEABLE THINGS

But there have been some things which have been disagreea ble-some things unfortunate and disappointing. l had hoped that the campaign would be one of education; that the candidates could go before the voters on their quail fications and accomplishments and that the voters would be called upon to select that man for the high office of presi- dent of the commission whom they con- sidered the best fitted to assume the burdens and responsibilities of the of flee. But my opponents have kept stead fastly away from what have been the real issues in the campaign and have injected and sought to inject those things which are not pertaining to the cam paign and should have no place in it. When it comes to selecting the man who will handle your public affairs for the next four years, you care very little for the opinion a candidate might have for private citizens who have no place in the contest
 My opponents have stated various off side issues but these they have never held to for any length of time. When we knocked them loose from one they would immediately jump to something else
 In this little book, which has just 1 been distributed, there are few things l Mir. Ward enumerates as having been accomplished by him. But the little book | is full of things which George claims 1 were done under his administration. WARDS CLAIMS
 1 One of the striking accomplishments I which George claims is that under his l administration the birth rate has in- ! creased and the death rate has de- l creased. And another one of his great achievements, so he claims, is that he l has increased the school population by i thousands And these claims are just as | reasonable, just as rational and just a. | fair as the other claims he has made.
 George says he was brought back into the race by a great body of business men who conscripted him against his will. The greatest number of men that has ever been claimed that attended that private dinner in the private dining room of the Tutwiler hotel, where. behind closed doors. they plotted against George 1 is 25 Some claim there were only ID l And that number of men made the selec i ton of the man who they said shoul, 1 be at the head of a government of ove
 100000 people I don't believe the people 1 of Birmingham are quite ready right now l to commission a possible D men to g" 1 feet their public servants. How man, l of you were invited to participate in thi: | conscrption feast at the private dining 1 room of the Tutwiler?
 l didn't seem to consider Georges feelings | at all He said that he had filled pubii' offices for 25 years at great persona sacrifice; that his personal affairs has suffered, that the job no longer appeale' to him. and he wanted to quit and pre-
 pare for old age.
 HOW HE SAVED MONEY
 George says he saved the city $500 zoo with a scratch of the pen, because whel
 they wee considering a $20oo,OO0 bond is
 sue some member of the board suS I gested that they be 5 per cent bonds I and George suggested that they be e' per cent bonds, and the balance of tn commissioners agreed with George.
 someone had intimated that Ney be
 per cent bonds, George could have save
 the city very nearly enough to pay 1t
 bonded indebtedness.
 George Ward and his assistants hay been speaking to the people of Birmine ham for weeks they have had the co
 umns and the editorial page of two aft ernoon newspapers in their behalf, an neither he, nor his speakers. nor tn newspapers which are so devoutly su.
 porting him, have yet accepted my chal Ienge which I have made almost nightl l all over the city, that if they could poii
 (Contlnued on Page Nine)