The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-12-21
REPUBLICANS KEEP
EAR TO GROUND FOR
LIKELY CANDIDATE
Again Giving Attention to
18th District-Kilby-Ken
nedy Fight Dies Down
Rr FRED H. GoRMLEy

Montgomery, December -tSpecial.)-
Alabama republicans have taken the cue
from their democrathic brethren and have
begun to discuss the political situation
as it will concern them during 1920. Talk
during the week has been ON two sub
jects: The first being the selection of a
state delegation to the republican ma
tional convention which will favor the
nomination of Leonard Wood as the re-
publican standard bearer in the presiden-
tial campaign; the second being another
hard fight to break the solid demo-
cratic delegation in Congress ana eject
a republican as congressman from the
Seventh district.
General Wood undoubtedly is the ia
vorite OF leading republicans of this state
Little attention is being paid to any other
candidate, though Governor Lowden IS
looked upon as the second best bet. Ala
hama republicans, like Alabama demo-
Gratis, veer with the political winds-to-
day it may be Wood and tomorrow an
other-but it is safe to say that if the
republican convention were held now
General Wood would receive the vote or
Alabamas republicans.
Talk among republicans is that a con-
vention viii be held about the middle of
the year, probably June, for the nomina-
ton of state candidates. But there is
also talk that they will go into the pri-
Inaries in May, as provided by the pri-
mary election law, and will make their
selections for the state convention and
for congressional candidates by primary
instead of convention. 1t would appear
new that the nomination in the seventh
district will be made in the primary.
The republicans hope to find a man who
win receive the support of all republic
ans as well as the Independent votes.
In recent weeks there has been exulta-
ton in the ranks of republicans over the
vote received by G.. b. Kennemer, their
nominee in the Seventh district when L..
3 Rainey was named to fill the unex-
PRED term of Congressman John T. Bur-
rett. Republican newspapers throughout
the country have attempted to see the
possibility of republican sitting in Con-
gress as a representative of a constit-
uency in the heretofore solidly demo-
cratic state of Alabama.
Some persons also have attempted to
see that the Kennemer vote. was re-
pudiation of, the League of Nations. Re-
ports now are that the republicans are
determined to make this the issue in
the contest in the Seventh district next
year
Democrats point out, that the Seventh
district brought no surprise to them in
the special election, that it has always
democrats. but that democratic NOM
inees have always been winners in re-
cent years. Congressman Burnett had
fight every two years. He would
win the democratic nomination and
then go Immediately into the general
election. But he stayed in Congress
until his death
One interesting development of the
week was the announcement of Gov
ernor Kilby that he had no interest
in any opposition to Sam p Kennedy
president of the public service COM
mission. who has announced that he
will be a candidate for reelection. The
controversy resulting from the failure
OF Mr.. Kennedy and S. P. Gaillard. as
sociate commissioner. to spend their
entire time in Montgomery has waxed
warm during the past two W eeks and
it was thought it would be carried into
the democratic primary. Governor
Kilby's latest statement was that he
did not intend to take part in POI
litical fight and that his only interest
was in having all state officials on