The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-07

TOT breath.
 Ma" Ferguson, with her husband as her mouthpiece, has said a few things about the kind of governor she will make. But she has mot said one word of the kind of governor Pa Jim will make.
 Ma" Ferguson has, insofar as any one knows, all of the homely virtues She is good wife and a good mother. When storms broke about the head of her husband she showed the modern lady fair, the stuff of which she is n,ade, by sticking to Jim like the bark on hardwood tree. If she ever had the slightest notion of giving comfort to the. enemy when they were gnashing |,tbeir teeth and reaching for her hus- bands scalp no enemy ever found it out. She went on her way as if ,she did not care hang for office so long as Jim was ty / her side and 'vindicated."t 1.5 .-t,f
 That she is wife in a million is ad- mitted. That being such loyal, faith ful wife, it is perfectly understood here tnd hereabouts, who will be governor if fate and time do not throw monkey wrench into the Ferguson machine.
 Invitation From East
 The chances are she will be elected and dim will be governor again in spite of the fact that the highest court in the state has declared him ineligible for public office, due to his impeachment. Nc one in Texas is fooling himself or herself as to this. But the funny part of it Is. that Ma" Ferguson is being invited into the east to make speeches in the great cause of democracy. To Texas people, who know "Ma," and this is in n oway any reflection on Il woman, with all the homely virtues who has been interested in the fires and who stuck to her husband through thick and thin when he was impeached and chucked out of the governors of flee, it is to laugh. That is they would laugh if they did not realize what the Terrell election law has done to them. Incidentally there is little political laughter in Texas now. Even those who vindicated" Jim. have their doubts about the wisdom of that vindication Certainly those who. had to choose be- tween "Ma" on one hand and the klux outfit on the other have not been doing any laughing.
 Ma" Ferguson is no orator. She could not make a speech if her life de- pended on it. She knows less than nothing about the science of govern ment and the great questions of the day are sealed book to her. She is a good woman in all,that statement im- plies-an excellently good woman-but outside the home she is lost.
 l And yet there have been written in Texas and published broadcast in the Impers outside of Texas more drivel about what Texas has done for woman than would fill a public library in a. big town. 5r-- 5. If you are among those who cherish the hope that Ma" Ferguson < may visit your town and make speech" for democracy, forget it. She won't. She can't. She has no notion of mak. itg herself ridiculous Jim will see to it that she has duties at home to save ] her making such a spectacle of herself. May Be Fine Administration Now here is the paradox of this ! whole humiliating mess. "Ma@is real ly apt forgive Texas q fine administra- tion. It is true that she will be but the mouthpiece of Jim. But I am one of those who believe that Jim Fergu-' son will make a rattling,s good gov e-Dor. ~S~A .,
 No one who knows Jim Ferguson has ever accused him of being any body's fool when it comes to knowing a thing or two about government. And lG one who knows his record in Texas and his fight to come back, will for {. moment doubt his courage. He has courage, and to spare. Not a man in a cool million, under the smudge of i'm peachment and the refusal of the Rfo. fO public office, would have had the si- mon pure courage-or effrontery-as you like, to come back and win as he has done.
 l am one. of those who believe he will be on the job and will give a good accounting of his stewardship. But that Ma" Ferguson vii be governor is to laugh. That is, it is to laugh if you do not happen to live in Texas. But if you live in Texas that is another matter entirely.
 There is talk of an independent democrat making the race against ma" But nothing will come of that. She will be elected and Jim will steer the ship of state while Ma" signs the state papers and fills CD the appoint i've offices.
 The leading Texas republicans met Lere the other day to grab the oppor- tunlty presented them to ride into of- flee. They bickered and demonstrated before they quit without nominating a candidate that boring an auger hole with a gimlet is an impossible job. It can't be done and they made a full con 'vincing and irrefutable demonstration of that fact.
 They are going to have another try at it, however, and may name a can didate before this gets into print But when they dilly-dallied and permitted the green-eyed monster to get in his work, they skidded out of the picture.
 Efforts have been made to dragoon some democrat of standing into the race. But they will come to nothing. None worth while would have the job of being walloped by "Ma," on the proverbial silver salver, or whatever it is that things people do got want nre used in their presentation.
 But if you have been deluded by the things you have read about Ma" being super politician or any sort of a politician forget it. She is nothing of the sort. But she is going to be gover- nor of Texas in name for two years while Husband Jim does the work and pulls the strings. No more perfect marionette that Ma" could be imagined. But at that the people of Texas have made their Hobson's choice and they do not appear sorry to have scotched the Klux idea good and hard. They seem to feel they can get rid of the Fergusons at the end of Mas" term. But it might have been a horse of another color of the invisible em- pire had pitched its throne in the state heuse. At least that is what | gather from expressions which have come to me.
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