The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-15

Now, I hope am a good loser. felt that he ought not to be returned to iCongress, and I used what personal in- Ihuence I had to keep him at home. l also wrote against him as strongly as
 I knew how, and I lifted up my voice in trying to show up his record, but
 nothing 1 did seemed to be able to
 change the current which was carrying
 him on it's bosom congressward. | I think fellow who comes out in the open and fights tooth and toenail
 is in better position to acknowledge
 that he was licked than the fence
 straddler. who merely watched the com
 bat, and manifests his interest only in
 shouting, Keep it up!" when he bears
 no honorable scars gotten in the heat of battle.
 There are still some brave spirits in the face of certain defeat, who are yet willing to fight on, but the great majority who are saying, "We must beat George with an independent" were dumb as oysters while the campaign was hottest, but are now frothing at the mouth to get their fangs in him. ~s
 I know the timid bunch who egged me and others on to do what they did not have the nerve to try, and that is sacrifice friends and business, if need be, to wage war against the Huddle- stonites. They "slacked," and now are the loud d-mouthed street corner takers who are preaching that we must beat him in the November election. They were chicken-hearted in the face of danger, and I have "got their number"
 I have more respect for the Hud- dlestonite who had the courage to and yet fought side by side with him, than have for the respectable business or professional man who failed to line up with the Jefferson County Patriotic league. for fear that he would lose client or offend customer.
 
 But I take my hat off to the men who forgot their private affairs, put aside their business, turned their backs on friends, and went forth to war against the man whom they believed was mis- representing our great district, and upon whom the President had set his disapproval They fought like heroes but they are not the ones who are sulk- ing, though many of them would like to keep up the fight.
 Now, having said this much, let's have the courage, after the Waterloo. to see if we can't be men enough to face the unhappy situation and win an unselfish victory out of it for the whole community. The Lord knows there is enough work for all right-minded men to do without wasting further time in bitter animosities and pulling in oppo- site directions when the load is heavy enough to demand the best possible team work.
 I am conscious that in writing as I am doing I will not please either side, but I have made up my mind to speak the truth, as God gives me the power to see it. from day to day with out for one moment weighing it to see This is why I am braving the pleasure of friend and enemy to sound note of warning before it. is too late.
 The question of loyalty is big one. | I boldly questioned the loyalty of George Huddleston, as gathered from | his public speeches. I could not square | them with the war policies of the ad- ministration. This was also the view of Woodrow Wilson. George comes 1, home and protests his loyalty, and says he will stand by the President, in spite E of his telegram. l, for one, hope that he will yet prove his patriotism
 I felt that Mr. Huddleston was ar raying class against class and charged him with it. went further and chal- this danger, and it is a real one from a political and social sense. We went into democratic primary without pro- testing at. the proper time his democ- racy and for us who did this to try and bring out against him an inde pendent would, to say the least of 1t, convict us of being untrue tofoir demo- cratic pledge.
 On the other hand if, after he was elected, and largely by the labor vote, we should line up with the employers and the well-to-do and the men and try to beat him. we would give color to his contention that the workingman's vote did not count for much, and be guilty of pre- cipitating strife at an hour when men behind the firing lines should be at peace and working together to keep the men at the front supplied with all things needed.
 It might give few great pleasure to beat George Huddleston politically, but I do not think any man who will sit down and think through the prob lem as whole will believe that, in or der to do so, it is worth while to create friction in this great industrial dis is why I appeal to the better Judgment of those who have at heart the best interests of all classes