The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-24

as follows:
 With the conclusion of the Georgia Tresldential primaries Alabamss sem atorlal campaign is perhaps the most interesting feature Of the political sit nation. This is due to the fact that senator Underwood. who is regarded Tn Washington IS the ablest southerner ia Congress, is opposed for reelection fy two men. neither Of whom is known reyond the boundaries of their own ana neighboring states, and neither of ton.
 "The Alabama situation is of na- tonal interest for still another reason In that state, Samuel Gompers, presi- dent of the American Federation of Laoor is centering his efforts to elect congress which will do the bidding of organized labor. Senator Under woods opponents are. Judge S. D. Weakley of Birmingham, who wrote the prohibition laws of Alabama and other states-including that law which authorizes eonfiseatior of property on or in which liquor Is discovered-and Lawrence Breckenridge Musgrove of Jasper, g multi-miliionaire- capitalist On whose head Samuel Gompers has laid his hands.
 The campaign is rep1ete with in- teresting features. The most interest," ing, perhaps. is that the Anti-SaIoon League of Alabama i1as indorsed Mr. Musgrove. who is possessed of a for tune worthy of compare with that of the late Croesus, and has attempted by strategy and then brute strength 10 force Judge Weakley out of the rrnning-this despite the fact that the judge, who Is not one who in the era Of lawmaking furnished the brains Tor the prohibition element of the state, and who in all political fights. gave plenteousiy of his time and nFA nt1x4sx t moraF candidate in Alabama Is not sEe consistent prohibitionist who has always been total abstainer from strong drink, and who is a devoted churchman and husband and father. On the contrary. the moral" candidate IS MT. Musgroye who. in other days, did acquire the taste of liquor, and who is neither a member of a church nor the head of a family
 But unlike in the campaign of 1914 in which Underwood was nominated over Richmond Pearson Hobson by majority approximating 35,000, prohi- bition Is not the issue-this despite the efforts of the Anti-Saloon League 10 resurrect John Barleycorn and make i;lm serve in Just one other emergency The issue is that precipitated by the action of Samuel Gompers in decree ing the political death of Senator Un- derwood. Organized labor stands. for the Plumb plan for the operation of railroads Under that plan. the gov ernment would buy :he railroads and operate them in the interest of the government. the radical labor leaders, and the public. When organized labor failed to .put the Plumb plan across. it attempted to get what 1t desired in amendments to the Esch and Cummins railroad bills. Despite their effort the Congress enacted the Esch- -Cummins bill with a section denying the right f.f %.fy~ state commercesx and requiring that points of difference between capital and labor be referred to a labor board to be named by the President
 Senator Underwood supported that Elias matter of fact, was the au- thor of the so-called .anti-strike sec ton. In consequence, MT. Gompers sent orders to Alabama. that Under wood be beaten. He indorsed MT. Mus grove. and MT. Musgrove accepted hise Endorsement Thus a new issue came into being.
 Senator Underwood has just re- turned to Washington after short speaking engagement in Alabama. He accepted the Gompers gage of battle. He told the people of the effort of labor to elect a Congress which would he subservient to labor's will--which would not 1egislate in the interest," of the masses. but in the interest Of one class. The ''outfaw'' strike de- velope1 during the senator's speakS iEg engagement, and the proof that it was engineered by Russian radicals attempting to destroy the American form of government gave the people os Alabama an object lesson of what would follow the election by labor of & Congress which to It's bidding would be servile. and to it's demands. entirely s'avish.
 Senator Underwood. returning to Washington, expressed confidence in his strength. He declared the ex- istence of opposition to him in circles dominated by Gompers. but added his conviction that the great rank and file of organized labor. which thinks for itself. will vote as it's conscience dictates and not as Gompers directs. Tn his race against Hobson. Com Iers declared the record of Senator Underwood, regarding labor satisfac- tory. Since then he voted for the snti-strike section of the railroad bill but in no other respect took action contrary to the position of labor. But for that sin. Gompefs says he must fall It is labor's programme to de- stroy all men who In one instance run contrary to it's orders, In their places. t:ompers would elevate those he knows would do his bidding even unto the last day.
 .Alabama's political situation is not confined to that race involving Sem ator Underwood and his opponents. The people will also nominate candidate 10 succeed the late Senator Bank head There are five entrants: Ray Rushton, an eminent lawyer of Mont eomery: I. Thomas Heflin. for many years a member of the Alabama House delegation: Emmet ONeal. former gov ernor: Frank $. White. former short term senator, who several times unsuc- ccssfully. opposed Senator Bankhead. and John w. Aber ercrombie. solicitor :r the federal department of labor. and former member of the House from Alabama.
 "Thcse best posted on Alabama poli- !ics think the race between MT. Hef- s lin. MT Rushton and Governor O'Neal, the latter standing flat-footed for an amendment of the Volstead enabling set to the end that light wines and Leer might be legally manufactured and sold Senator White, regarded in the beginning as certain winner 1 reems to have suffered through an iidorsement thrust upon him by radi- cal labor leaders
 'srhe primary will be held May IL" CATTS AND FLETCHER
 FIGHTING IN FLORIDA
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