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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 1906)
' TIIL OREGON SUNDAY JQURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY IIOSNING. - SrpTT:.Ii:iI 2V ' v. , . ..... - , ., , 1 . 1 " V, 1 ' " .-' " , ' i ; ; ; : cThe llhiaue cctlm ofclabama democrats m cflBmlnaimcr hi - i . i. . v if . . ' x j .iLr jt, jot v-a. f. v . t , .u f . s- - - n : ..if l i m. : aBwB.afax.aB' i ... , i ii . -' , - ,'-!" aiajaia, a .-mm m w a -i ar . : . ,- m , j sr it . j m t : i 1 i.y"..vt . " CONTEST in advance for deid thoej."- Such r ' ..':;: a. A. - sfyyA the recent remarkable ffy ', ; . fiMo prtman in Alabama, where, in oddl-.'-p. 'tion to naming aStale ticket, the DmoaraU; ' ''' 'indicated their? choice- of men', to Succeed unuea oiaics oenaiors junn i inuru -'Edmund ) V. Pejtus, should the chair of either -become vacant ;' " .': ".'r,'L.::ij Both Senators were accorded ,iew terms fcj unanimous vote of theirs party constitu- ' entsi But both are old one is 82, the other J?r rc n 7m human iir.ibahilitv one or both. may die before the expiration of , their new terms, anouui tney ttve inrourn J their terms Mr. Pettus will be 94 and Mr. : Morgan 89. ' --:-:,-r;-: So affectionately are these old public serv.' 4. . - w . r m 1 . 1 a. f . x r . l . i- a a 1. vnis ncia oy me pcopic oj iiuvama mat inc Voters insisted upon giving them virtually life "-terms of office. At the same time it is recog j nized that one, or both, may drop out of har- thts eldtrly Balm lawyer, who o"rcly cood anouch (or that, ao I bocamo lawror-' 4 '-51 jjrw&. axyvrrar far" mess at any time.: , ; seems that the man who has been nom. .the Democratic State organization. In order-' man John H. Bankhecd, defeated .) for " re 'toprevent him from selecting any .one he nomination by Captain Richmond P. Hobson, might choose to fill a possible vacancy,' two 0f Merrimac fame, and former .Governor 'alternate". Senators were voted for in the r Joseph FT Johnston. -primaries -men who he must appoint upon : All Alabama; however, would be delight occasion The-naming of alternatc'-Sena-. edrit is saidtshould the venerabU'M organ . w- L L L. J ! '.. ', ' I. t..".-J VT nai never pcen Known uciore.in si men- and rCttUS survive tneir newij ' uesivwca s can pontics. terms and reach the great age which political These "alternate" Senators are Congress, prophets now deny them. : i v . f. .. . t - , : - ' I i - - k.,.., . i - . L !2 bad bA quietly practicing hla profeulon tor half a century without ahowlns .Inclination to enter the pollUcal areaa. would. yer dlaturb hla own plane for continued preferment. ' But euddenly, and without any premonitory eym- time, thle veteran deTeloped a deelre to become a Fed oral Judge In hie State. Immediately he packed hie rlp and atarted fo, Waahlnfton o- enlUt the aid ot "The'iryla told that he reached the latter1 a noiiae early In the mornlnr. while Mr. Pufh wee yet wooing alumber. Deaplte the oppoaltlon ol the maid, (he in sisted upon entering and going upatalre to Mr. Pugna '"Hello. Pugh!" ho cried. bUratlng Into the apart ment. "Wake up! I want to talk bualneae tf you "Thatyou. Pettuar the Senator eleeplly aaked. "Anythlnar wrong down home? Whafa the matterT" "Nothing wrong," reeponded the yleltor. "There a a vacant Federal Judgeahlp down in Alabama,, and I want It.. I want you to help me." ' . "Nonaenae, you're too old.. Pettua.", the .Senator la . aald to have remarked, yawnlngly. ' The effect of thla remark can better be Imagined than deecrlbed. Mr. Pettua, ao It la etated, aprang up - aa Ihouah touohed by an electrlo wire. ' "Too old!" be ahouted. Indignantly. Too old, am IT m ahow you. Maybe I am too old to be Judge, but I am not too old to be United Btatea Senator." - " Straightway back to the railroad atarlon Mr. Pettua hied hlmeelf, and In a ohort time waa hurrying to Ala bama aa faet aa ateam could carry him. Soon the votera of the entire State knew that ha waa a candidate for Pugh'e aeat In the Federal Senate. ' - - "Too old to be a Judge, but not too old to be Sen tor." waa the aloaan of hla campaign. Mr. Pettua .lie haa been practicing- law In Alabama .more than 1 eixtr-one yeara. - " 1 - - During Democratic aaeendaney-tn-the-Senates Mr Morgan waa chairman of the important Committee on ' Foreign Relatione. Ula hard, common aense, hla won- - derful fund of Information and hla eloquent apeechea made him a power In the committee and upon the ' floor of the Senate. - - . Senator Morgan la eoneldered the great canal-authority of the upper house. For yeara he haa been Induatrloualy atudrlng the eubJeoC and la brimful of information .upon canal topic. ' He bitterly opposed the selection of the Panama ; Canal route, firmly believing the Nloaraguan route to . be far better. Indeed, he still inslsta that the Nlca-' ' raguan canal will have to be constructed eventually. .' Only a few months ago Mr. Morgan' tilts with - William Nelson Cromwell, who had been, called before the Senate committee, attracted general attention. He alleged that Mr. Cromwell had forced the Panama route upon the country, and insisted that every phase of "the deal," as he called It. should be made public A vigorous BDeaker. etrlklnc atrahrht from the shouldeWMr. Morgan la alwaye sure of close atten tion wheff he rlaea to address the Senate. Some yeara ; ago he had quite a reputation for the oratorical per ' formance known aa "twisting the British llon'a tall," put ne naa not epoaen in tnat atrain recently. 1 LONG DISTANCE SPEAKING RECORD V Three yeara ago he made the long-distance speak ing record, forced an extraordinary session of the ' Senate and killed the Aaaet Currency bill of. Senator Aldrlch. , . . Almost every day for two weeks, Mr. Morgan apoke on the question of an Isthmian eanaL Houra after houra he held the floor, and when he had docu ments to be read he read them himself, inatead of ' send In a; them to the clerk. It la estimated that he won' an overwhelming victory, and haa remained In apoke more thanJ10O,evworda on thle - "toplevt tha fienata ever since. ' ' - ' --.m..-.- Mr. Pettua haa been member of the upper .i.fi4. nnmlMMii All aewnr incisive qawetiwiiwr, rij uu before a reeoected and hard-working - many a nucn younger roan, out air. Morgan appeared hnth aides the chamber. He - "-".r" one in A laps ma oeen raen-enougn-10 oppose r. ior-- Possessing a strong aenae of humor, the aged Ala ., bama Senator haa the reputation of being a wit. Hla dry remarks at times aet the. Senate chamber In a roar. e the people. In 1800, Joseph F. Johnston who haa lust been eelected aa an "alternate" then fresh from tha Oovernor'a chair locked horna with him. "' ' Johnaton waa anowed under, and la iust now emerging from the onua of that defeat - Indeed. It ' T WAS only after one of the most ezclUi sr. and hotly contested battles ever known In Alabama that the "alternate" Senator were chosen. Only when complete feturn had been received Waa, it known that Congressman Bankhead and former t Governor Johnaton bad been eelected fc possible future '- aniVklnteMtAt Kv 4h flMtmnr ' j.eia KKVum mesne simply insi a. o. corner, wuw has been nominated as the Democratic randldate for '' Governor end nomination le equivalent t election will not be permitted a free rein In appoint'ng a Senator of the United States to fill a vacancy that may occur - during hla term of office. He must appoint one of the i "a.lternatee" named at the primaries. v Never heforo hu cucn a . novel political condition ,' ent in Alabama, and lively Interest In nclRhborlna States. - It has been called the "pall bearers' race," and . the "contest for dead men's shoes." , Bluntly put, me situation is mat toe men cnosen as ' elfematea are wsitlne for the Heeth nr leslirnstlon of i either of Alabama's venerable Senators. It means thst their only hope of entering the Senate I by the , tektng off of the men who now fill the chain from Ala ' bama. - ; f The Bo-called office of "alternate" Senator waa created i- by the State Democratic Executive Committee at a meet . ng laat spring. .The prospects of the election .a Gov- ernor of B, B JToner. opposed by most of the men t composing the committee, and the possibility even ' probability that he would have an opportunity' of ap ' pointing a Senator, resulted) Id the decision that the ', pee pie should vote for the men they wished to succeed t" Morgan or Pettua, taking the appointment from the " Sands of the Governor. Anounceraent of thle plan waa met with general crlttdAn by the State papers, which pointed' out the . . gruesome featurea of the situation. In spite of a storm . of protest, seven men announced themselves as candi . dates for "alternates." They were John It. Bankhead, of Jasper: R. H. Clarke and William C. Kltts. of Mo- Joeepb F.-Johnston, of Birmingham; Jotia B. Pettua may outlive them haa been the subject for.; biting criticism among papers unfriendly to their can didacy. . . . -o ; .'" '. Cartoon have pictured Alabama's venerable Sena-; tors as pall-bearers at-the funerals of their would-be 1 successors, and other truowme. ,inm.nt Irae been made. "It Is safe to say," states a recent dispatch from that' State, "that all Alabama Ivould be delighted if Moraan and Pettus should pull thrlugh another sis yvars of office, after their present terms have expired, foB if Jt were pos sible to find humor In such a situation, their nuccess would prove the greatest joke in the .history . of Ala -bama politic." , Few men have acquired a stronger hold upon the" affections of their constituents than Edmund w. Pettus ' and John T. Morgan.', ' , Last May Senator and Mrs. Pettua celebrated the . alxty-thlrd anniversary of their marrlaare. Thev were surrounded by their two daughters, thirteen grandehll ' slble opponent " ana len grrBi-granacnuaien.,, A lew months lajer Mra. Psttus died, and there waa sincere regret through a out Alabama. - Mr. and Mra. Pettus were born and raised in Selma, Ala, They were sweethearts In their .childhood days. . They always boasted of tha fact that each waa the first and only love of the other, and they never called each otner anytning out "aweeineart" This devotion waa well known In Washington offl- -". ctal circles. It attracted the attention and aroused the admiration of President and Mrs. Roosevelt, and among the most welcome guests at the White House have been the venerable Alabama statesman and hla silver- ' haired "eweetheart" ' ' Theorists who wax eloquent over age limitation would' do well to consider the career of Kdmund Win ston Pettus. According to Professor Oiler, he should have born ready to retire from active life aWay back ' ,ln 18(3, when he was performing certain reckless deeds of daring In the defense of Vlcksburg. Mr. Pettus did not go to the United States Senate. y until 1887. He waa then In his TCth year ao advanced, in inci, mat oinera wno were listening to tne bulling of the Senatorial bee did not regard him as a possible ' candidate; they considered him as already, virtually, laid on the shelf. , ' Certainly James I Pugh, his predecessor In the united States Senate; had never regarded him as a pos- - "' viPiwurai, mn ruin oweo mucn oi nis success to the Pettus Influence, It never occurred to htm that . TTnan An. oeee.sloB a strlklna Boaeeh had been made V - iri. f nniltix.t ..nrii.v. tar v by the eloquent young Senator from Indiana, lit. Bev. on, t0 ott oppoaltlon to either of the United States -Bridge. -At lte cloae the venerable Pettua elowly arose senators In Alabama. . . and, taking the oppoalte aide, imitated the manner- xhe victory of Congressman John H. Bankhead. 7 isms of Beverldge and made one of the most mirth- one of those chosen a alternates," seems to be some ' provoking addreeses ever beard In the Senate. thing ot a surprise. Outside of Alabama, at least hla Adventure and warfare have filled a large part of' career. waa Supposed to have been closed by hla de- - Mr. Pettua' buay life. During the Mexican War he was feat In last Aprll a primaries at the hands of Captain - a lieutenant and participated In General Taylor's cam- i Richmond Pearson Hobaon, of Merrimao fame. Deign aaralnst Saata Anna. Later he made the arduous f Mr. Bankhead la now oloalng hla tenth consecutive iournev overland to California with other Forty- terra as a member or congress. He is s years ox age. nlners. At tha outbreak of the Civil war ne joined the Confederate forces, and saw active service all through the conflict, retiring aa a Drigaaier general. It la related that upon one oeeaalon, not bo long ago, a nowspaper -correspondent In - Washington was Interviewing Senator Pettuo, and, touching the Sub-' lent of his health, asked If be had alwaya been a man ot regular habits. With a twinkle In bla eye, the venerable Statesman1 promptly responded: . - "My habits, young man, have always been like tha verb regular irregular, and even defective. So well do the people or Ala Dame in in as n wnnor and. like the two Senatora from hla State, la a Civil War veteran. . '- Dangerously wounded three times during his mili tary aervloe, Bankhead. at the close of the oonfliot waa sent to the State Legislature by bla oounty people aa a mark of their esteem. - He served three terms In the House and one In the Senate, and was then made warden of the State Penitentiary. In 1886 he was elected to Congress and haa been there ever elnce. - Joaeoh F. Johnaton haa been active in Alabama State from 18 to 1D00. For some years after his SlecMon to hU T present " tirm he Vecelved everf voti i un.uccis.ful raoa aialnst Senator Morgan In 1100. n ?he LeglslaturPemo when he carried but Ave out of slxty-slx counUsa. hla lists, upon Marcn e next ne win neve raunam out thirty years ot eontbiuous-service , In the Senate. , Like Pettua, Mr. Morgan eerved through the Civil War, having enlisted 'In the Confederate army as a private, and emerging as a brigadier general. He began his political career as a Presidential elector on the Brecainriogo uojtet in isev. "Mv mnthar." he statea. In SDSSklng Of his youth. "wished me- to be a preacher, but I felt that I waa - A fighter and effective campaigner, however,; Mr. sonnston set resoiuteiy aoout to renaouie nimaen. Hie sucoesa In being chosen an "alternate" recently 'was due, it Is said, almost entirely to hla strqng and. --motive canvasa of the, State. He worked harder probably than ana of the other ' aspirants, and will have hie reward ,by appointment to the Second vacancy that may occur, at Washington, CRAVES. PRISON BARS TO GRIME NLY, when lie it $aMt guarded behind '.,'' PAULDING la now confined In the Lakeland Asylum. prison bars in this cas tho restraint of v thither ha waa aent at bla owg urgent and tear-' Vn inaane ayum-doer Jamet Spauldingf, ,ul ! The possibility from which be shrinks a well-to-do-Kjntulr' - farmer--feel at i.wltn Srtet dread la bla restoration to liberty, -r a wen to-ao iVfniUCKJ lanner, leei SI "Lock me up." he implored the authorities and the jury wnicn sat in nis caae, Knox, of Anlaton; William C. Oate. of Montgomery, ..i 1. V au.llln.a Rlml,,li. V bile; Bankhead received tha tersest vote and will be elven ftie nrst vacancy. . Jchnaton led the third candidate toy 1 about 'O0. and will be aoeorded the second chance. While both -the present Senators are old men, they , are In prime mental and physical condition and appear good Tor a considerably longer term of usefulness. Advoretes of the new primary schema, however, gent ly pointed out that death might claim at least one of the venerable slatemen, and have Instated that, In de priving the Governor of his eppolntlve power, it was oniy (iving tee people their proper ngnts. re ease. In no other way can he overcome the mysterious, overpowering demon of evil that fnflamca his Brain : and impela his hands to crime. What strange influence is it that seizes the mind of an apparently hearty and contented, man,, that .'prods him irresistibly to wrongdoing, to arson, and even to the midnight murder of his loved ones I - - ' .'Physicians have been piiwled bv'the singular case of Jamea-Spaulding. Respected, hardworking, with a character above reproach as far as the world's observation went, he acknowledges to at-, tacks of uncontrollable criminal impulse, , , ; , Twice he burned the barns of neighbors against whom he had no shadow rjf ill will. The baneful im pulse urged him to burn his own store, and then. Both iinnhheVd'snd Johnston are hardi- more than . becoming bolder and more diabolic, to alaughter his st middle age. bat the speculation that Morgan and '"Wife and children Id their sleep. "Put me where I can An nn harm. If you release me I am certain that I will do vine arraaiui tmng against my win. , About St years old, Spauldtng hag been living -, quietly on a small farm near Danville, In Boyle county, Ky, His family consisted of a wife and three children. One of the latter le a girl of S years, the seoond a girl -4 years old.. Tha baby boy Is now only a little over a year of age, On Saturday, August 11. this strange victim of a stranger malady drove hurriedly to the county la II In Danville and aeked Jailer Clatk to place him behind the bars, , " He had burned the barn of MoSea Welsslger, he said. ' and was afraid that ha would be led to commit other Crimea. '-.,.,. . .. The Jail official were nrinplused, and said the man mult, be era sy.. After talking with him awhile they conferred rwlth the County Judge, and the proper papere y.fle made out admitting him to Jail. After in vestigating the actions of Hnauldlng the authorities plsced him on trial before a Jury, charged wltbbelna a lunatic . . - - ( ,.. , Moat dramatlo was .the story told by tha unhappy farmer, who apoka calmly and with easy Indication of v' ---v-t ; . -. -- .J ' ?'A truthfulnesa i . i- , ,"wua wt momr rwiTa a st u "A few years ago," ha aald. -ai many of you know." ; I bought a little rm tour mllea from Danville on tha I nurohased a store at Burnslde. thla county, and en- Lexington pike. My wife and I have been farming and -gaged In the mercantile buaineea. :tofcoupled all' my" we have got along pretty well. time, so that Idleness cannot bo cnargau a permuting the Introduction of evil thoughts. ' ' .... A ... nfn a mni frAni r)inMI& ' . . . . . , 1 U Munln. IiMVH 1 ,1 , BCTVrKl IS"L. .Mvi, ivtuimi'i ,.. - -- 'Twa aa-a . mnaf pemarkable and ,nnaocount i able feeling earns over me, causing me much alarm. , Standing on a hill near my atora was the fine, large tobacco barn of Mr, Jacoba, my neighbor. . "While I looked at the barn on day the imputao 'cams that I must burn It I knew It was wrong, and ' turned away from the whispered suggestion with hor ror. ....... ' V "Finally I yielded to the temptation and est fire te the barn. There was much excitement in the neigh- , borhood, and feeling toward the Incendiary waa high. . "I lietened to the discussion and Indulged In tha speculation as to who was guilty of the foul deed. Tha , " barn was filled with tobacco, and the loas wss heavy. "This first plunge affected me so seriously .that I" ' became 111 and waa In bed for several weeks. Attsr I got about again I was horrified by a prompting to burn my own store. . , y ramuy jived over tne store, ana we naa oniy "A few weeks ago, however, tha same criminal Im pulse seised me, and l ten tnat i muat ourn toe earn 1 hitched my horse by the roadside, went over and ap plied a match to the barn. - .' ,J "I felt that X ought o tell that t burned the barn, ' but I knew that I would be taken away from my tam- ' II y and aent to Jail. It seemed to me that I ought to bo able to resist such impulses, and I resolved to try again. .. . ' 1 . . "But when th mysterious power began telling me to kill my wife and children 1 knew that I must have myself locked up. , .': ' '.. "It came to me aa X lay In bed ens bight, looking through the wtndowa at the bright stars above. So . strong was the impulse that I got up. and, going to the yard, picked ftp aa axe.- t "As t returned to the room, determined upon tha frightful deed, if atrucg my foot againat, sometmng a amall amount o Inanranne. Tha Idea of burntna- mv and made a nol, Thle awakened, my wife, who asked riled rontlnued to grow, however, and had It not been roe, sleepily, what I was doing. - ' - for the feet-that by accident a purchaser came along "Then, all at once, I realised what I was about te and bought me out I would doubtlees have dona It, attempt X threw the axe out the window and re and probably have burned my family, also, . , turned to bed, trembling like a nan erita an ague, . . -v..v-':-;-.'YV': - ".' ;v ' : ;. " ' "V V A