The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-05
TO RESENT 7lNSTALLCLAIM
 OF RETALIATION
Gibson, Brewer and Clark son Think Statement
 Sign Of weak Cause

Three vigorous statements came forth Tuesday in reply to Chairman, Ali Tun. stalls statement that Alabama in gen. Feral was resentful of Birmingham at Etitude toward the Underwood campaign gand might soon seize opportunity to re taliate. The statements were from Musgroce headquarters in Birmingham, from State Senator Walter Brewer and from Edgar l.. Clarkson of Tuscaloosa. Here is the Musgrove statement in krcply to Chairman Tunstall, of the Un- fderwood campaign:
 Reply To Tunstall
 ! "The statement in today's press from sMr. Tunstall of the Underwood com. rmittee is in effect confession of de- ffeaE It shows an amazing state of fdesperation.
 When the Undrwood committee sconcocted the scheme to disfranchise sthe democratic voters by denying them &theA right to vote for their delegates to the national convention, and when the Underwood state commit tee approved and adopted that act, it was openly charged that the next logi- cal step for the Underwood political schemers would be to deprive the peo- pie of other rights.
 ''The proof of the charge is now fur nished by the Underwood committee head, who boldly threatens to have the legislature arbitrarily change the form of government of the city of Birming- ham, and this for the sole reason that 1t is apparent that the city of Birming- ham and Jefferson county are going overwhelmingly against Underwood on March Il.
 'sThe only way for the people of Alabama to protect themselves against future autocratic invasion of their rights is to vote so solidly against Un. derwood as to bury the political bosses forever' t1
 Brewer Challenges Tunstan
 The remarks of Chairman Ali Turnstafl: before the Birmingham city cimnission Monday brought q reply Tuesday from State Senator Walter Brewer, of Jefferson. in which he chal- lenged MT Turnstall to produce T5 would retaliate against Jefferson county in case of an adverse vote against Senator Underwood in the primaries, Senator Brewer furthermore, chal- lenged Mir. Turnstall to give the names of 70 legislators who are supporting the senior senator in his race in the Alabama primary for the presidential preferential nomination.
 fPersenaily, l am surprised to see the manager of the Underwood com mittee in Alabama, Mir. Turnstall. a man of fsso ripe experience in legislative matters and politics so completely lose his judgment as to give out a state ment about q threat of retaliation against Birmingham by. the legislature in the Underwood case," said Mir. Brewer.
 T challenge the statement of Mir. Tunstall that 75 members of the Alabama legislature were present at any such conference or. discussion. furthermore challenge Mir. TunstalT s statement that there are Q members of the Alabama legislature openly sup porting the candidacy of@Senator Un- derwood for the nomination. I call upon Mir. Tunstall to give the namSs of the 75 members of the legislature.
 "Mr. Tunstall's conveyed threat is = an iDshit to any self-respecting com munity. Any red-blooded person liv- ing in Alabama resents such a state ment. I feel that it is the duty of the press to come in defense of this community and resent any statement coming from any side in the present political contest because the interests of this community are at stake.''.
 The AgeHerald Tuesday received the following telegram from Mir Edgar l.. Clarkson, of Tuscaloosa, with re- gard to Chairman Ali Tunstalrs re- marks to the Birmingham city commits sion of possible retaliation by the Ala. bama legislature against Birmingham should vote at the primaries be ad- verse to the candidacy of Senator Os- car w. Underwood for the presidency
 II have just seen an interview with Hon. Ali Tunstall, chairman of Mir. Underwood's campaign, published in to. days AgeHerald, in which the threat is made that if majority of the voters of Birmingham and Jefferson county do not cast their votes for Senator !. Underwood on next Tuesday they will be punished in the future by the leg islature and perhaps Birmingham form of government taken from her and her officials stripped of their au. thority.
 A While he does not say so, we may assume that he means this to apply to all1cities and counties of the state. As aeMtizenaof the city and county of Tus. caloosa, realizing that there is great likelihood. that the independent democ- racy of this county will cast q ma jority of its votes for Mir. Musgrove and against MT. Underwood, I find my self trembling in my boots lest Mir. Tunstall and his cohorts, who seem to think that they can inflict any punish ment they desire unless we obey their commands and support wet, reaction