The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-02
appoint someone to serve until his successor is elected and qualities.
 MANY NAMED FOR VACANCY


 Although none would give definite expression. on thc matter. it was learned yesterday that several state
 politicians already had their eyes fixed
 onsthe vacancy created by Senator
 Bankhead. Among these are Cecil
 Beasley of Fayette. former, state sen
 ator and for many years secretary to
 Senator Bankhead; ". b. Nesbitt,
 chairman of,the state board of control
 and economy and chairman of the
 state executive committed. State Sen ator w. P. Acker of Ahniston.e personal
 and political friend of Governor kilby
 and administration leader in the senA
 ate at the last session; State Senator A. H. Carmichael of sTuscumbia, strong supporter of the administration in the last legislature: former United States
 Senator Frank S. White. ST. of Bir-
 mingham; Ray Rushton and Col. Bibb Graves of Montgomery Representa- tives Tom Heflin and w. E. Oliver of;
 the Fifth and Sixth districts, respec- lively; Borden Burr. former Governors B. B. Conner and Emmet O.NeaI of 13ir-
 mingham; Fred L Thompson. publisher of the Mobile Register, and l.. B. Mus grove of Jasper.
 The gossip connecting the name of MT. Musgrove or the other prohibition opponent of Senator Underwood with the office grows out of ,their candi- dacy for the Senate now Both are ardent prohibitionistss and are making their race on prohibition platform, while Senator Underwood opposed the federal prohibition amendment on the ground that prohibition was matter | for the states to legislate on. and not l the federal government The question of states. rights entered into this con- l test ;f
 REASONS FOR SUGGESTIONS Those who suggested that either MT. 1 Musgrove or the other prohibition op- ponent of Senator Underwood might be appointed interim senator and then offer for the uneXpired term at the l special election held that this would solve the problem the prohibitionists l are now working on that of eliminat | ing one of these candidates and mak- | ing it a straight two-man race with | prohibition as the paramount issue. | This solution was based. of course, upon the theory that Governor kilby would look with favor upon a proposi- | ton to simplify the senatorial election
 in November by the elimination of one 1 of the prohibition candidates.
 l Mir. Nesbitt's name was mentioned as a probable appointee upon the the 1 ery, as advanced by those suggesting i it,, that he is ably closer to Gov | ernor Kilby than any other man in the state, is chairman of the state board | of control and economy. created at the request of the governor, and that the l prestige of having been United Estates senator would add to his in- fluence as chairman O. the state demo- cratic executive. committee. It was
 stated that Mir. Nesbitt probably would be willing to accept the short 1 time appointment. serve the few weeks until his successor was elected and qualified and then step back into his present position as, chairman of the state committed.
 | Mir Nesbitt. whose home and busi- l ness office are in Birmingham, left yes terdav afternoon for Montgomery, but during the afternoon, from the time Senator Bankhead's death became ! known until the departure of the train l Tor Montgomery. lnEdy efforts were made to get Mir Nesbitt over the l long distance telephone on calls from different ways by different persons. | Some professed to see in these per- l sistent efforts to connect with MT. | Nesbitt an intention to appoint him to | the vacancy; others professed to see | in it the first steps towards putting
 the party machinery into motion for | the nomination of a candidate and for the fixing of the date of the special 1 election. while still others, contended
 that Mir Nesbitt, being a warm per sonal and political friend of the gov ernor. was wanted for a conference on l the situation growing out of the death | of Senator Rankhead
 ! COMER BEING CONSIDERED 1 Former Governor B. B, Conner. who 1 is prohibitionist and, as governor, a 1 few years ago put through legislation | regulating and controlling intrastate | traffic on the railroads of very 1 stringent nature, is known to be a | close friend of Governor Kilby, and l il is claimed that his appointment for l the interim between now and the spe . 1 cial election would be an easy solu- 1 tion of the problem. for the governor. l Former Gov. Emmet O'Neal was l mentioned as a probable candidate for | the Senate two years ago against Sen | ator Bankhead and is known to have l had the matter under consideration for ] time, but finally decided not to enter l the race.
 1 Former Senator Frank S.. White, Sr.,
 who was the first United States Sen
 ator ever elected by the people in Ala | bama, succeeding the late Senator Johnston in 1s14. replying to the dues- ! ions if he would be a candidate, stated I last night:
 ".N large number of friends have come to see me and many have called l me over. the telephone. I have had a l number of teegrams and long distance | telephone messages from friends over | the state asking me to stand for of l flee. but under the circumstances 1 think it would be indelicate to con-