We will continue this week with the saga of Alabama’s most colorful governor, the legendary Big Jim Folsom.
Jim Folsom, Jr. shared a story about his father’s early political life.
kAmq:8 y:> 2=H2JD <?6H E92E 96 H2?E65 E@ 8@ :?E@ A@=:E:4D[ D@ 96 ;F>A65 C:89E :?] w:D 9@>6E@H? @7 t=32 :? r@7766 r@F?EJ H2D :? E96 DAC2H=:?8 @=5 E9:C5 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 5:DEC:4E H9:49 6?4@>A2DD65 E96 D@FE962DE6C? A2CE @7 E96 DE2E6] xE H2D C676CC65 E@ 2D E96 “(:C68C2DD” 5:DEC:4E]k^Am
kAm%96 G6?6C23=6 2?5 5:8?:7:65 w6?CJ $E6282== @7 ~K2C< 925 C6AC6D6?E65 E96 (:C68C2DD 5:DEC:4E 7@C a_ J62CD H96? q:8 y:> 564:565 E@ E2<6 9:> @?] $E6282== 925 364@>6 2 A@H6C7F= 2?5 H6==\<?@H? 4@?8C6DD>2?] w6 H2D 492:C>2? @7 E96 w@FD6 q2?<:?8 r@>>:EE66 2?5 925 2FE9@C65 E96 72>@FD v=2DD\$E6282== p4E[ H9:49 C6G:D65 ?2E:@?2= 32?<:?8 =2HD 5FC:?8 us#’D }6H s62=]k^Am
kAmpD J@F 42? :>28:?6[ r92:C>2? $E6282== 6?;@J65 E96 7CF:ED @7 9:D =23@CD] w6 9@3?@3365 H:E9 }6H *@C< 32?<6CD] %96 3:8 32?<:?8 =@33J:DED H6C6 H:?:?8 2?5 5:?:?8 $E6282== 2?5 E2<:?8 9:> E@ qC@25H2J D9@HD] w6 H2D =:G:?8 E96 9:89 =:76 :? (2D9:?8E@?] (96? 96 42>6 9@>6 E@ E96 (:C68C2DD[ 96 H@C6 qC@@<D qC@E96CD DF:ED 6G6? H96? 96 H2D BF2:= 9F?E:?8] *@F 4@F=5 D2J[ 2?5 >2?J 5:5[ E92E @=5 w6?CJ 925 =@DE E@F49 H:E9 E96 7@=<D :? E96 (:C68C2DD]k^Am
kAm%96 2=@@7?6DD 2?5 “(2D9:?8E@?:E:D” 925 4C62E65 2? @A6?:?8 7@C A@=:E:42= 492==6?86CD[ 2?5 q:8 y:> H2D @?6 @7 E96 7@FC H9@ 492==6?865 $E682== :? `hbe] p== 7@FC @7 9:D @AA@?6?ED ;F>A65 @? $E6282==’D =:76DEJ=6] %96J 244FD65 9:> @7 =:G:?8 E96 8C2?5 =:76] %96J D2:5 96 H2D ?@E @?=J 62E:?8 A962D2?E F?56C 8=2DD H:E9 }6H *@C< 32?<6CD[ 3FE 96 H2D 2=D@ 42G@CE:?8 H:E9 J@F?8 8:C=D :? (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am
kAmx? E9:D 6C2[ p=232>2 A@=:E:4D H2D 4@?5F4E65 >@DE=J E9C@F89 42>A2:8? C2==:6D :? E96 4@FCE9@FD6 DBF2C6] tG6? :? 2 D>2== E@H?[ :E H2D ?@E F?FDF2= 7@C d__ A6@A=6[ :?4=F5:?8 >2?J 72C>6CD :? E96:C @G6C2==D[ E@ 82E96C @? E96 DBF2C6 5FC:?8 42>A2:8? D62D@? 7@C 2 A@=:E:42= C2==J] tG6CJ 42?5:52E6 7@C 6G6CJ @77:46 H@F=5 D9@H FA E@ DA62<] %96 =@42= 42?5:52E6D H@F=5 E2=< 2?5 E96? E96 8F36C?2E@C:2= 42?5:52E6D[ 2?5 E96? E96 r@?8C6DD:@?2= 42?5:52E6D] %96J H@F=5 5C2H DEC2HD E@ D6E E96 @C56C :? H9:49 E96J H@F=5 DA62<] ~? E9:D A2CE:4F=2C 52J[ 2== @7 E96 42?5:52E6D 7@C $E6282==’D D62E H6C6 E96C6 2D H6== 2D E96 4@?8C6DD>2?]k^Am
kAmtG6CJ @?6 @7 E96 492==6?86CD ;F>A65 @? $E6282==’D A6CD@?2= =:76] %96J =2>32DE65 9:D 7:?6 5:?:?8 2?5 6DA64:2==J 92CA65 @? E96 @=5 >2?’D 7@@=:?8 2C@F?5 H:E9 J@F?8 H@>6?] tI46AE 7@C q:8 y:>[ H9@ H2D ae[ 2== E96 @E96C 42?5:52E6D H6C6 >:55=6\2865] (96? :E 7:?2==J 3642>6 q:8 y:>’D E:>6 E@ DA62<[ 96 >256 :E D9@CE 2?5 DH66E] w6 D2:5[ “u@=<D[ x’G6 366? =:DE6?:?8 E@ 2== >J @AA@?6?ED E2=< 23@FE |C] $E6282==’D =:76DEJ=6 :? (2D9:?8E@?[ 6DA64:2==J 9:D =:<:?8 2?5 CF??:?8 H:E9 J@F?8 H@>6?] $@F?5D =:<6 E@ >6 :7 E92E’D E96 ;@3 @7 2 4@?8C6DD>2? :? (2D9:?8E@?[ J@F @F89E E@ 3C:?8 ~=5 w6?CJ 9@>6 2?5 D6?5 2 J@F?8 >2? FA E96C6 E@ E2<6 9:D A=246] x 36=:6G6 x 4@F=5 5@ 2 36EE6C ;@3 H:E9 7:?6 5:?:?8 2?5 J@F?8 H@>6?] *’2== G@E6 7@C >6]”k^Am
kAmq:8 y:> C2? D64@?5 E@ $E6282== E92E J62C[ 3FE 96 42CC:65 E92E E@H?]k^Am
kAmx? E92E D2>6 42>A2:8?[ q:8 y:> H2D A@=:E:4<:?8 5@H? 2 5:CE C@25 :? CFC2= v6?6G2 r@F?EJ] w6 DE@AA65 3J 2 72C>9@FD6 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 5:CE C@25] %96 72C>6C 2?5 9:D H:76 G:D:E65 H:E9 E96 J@F?8 42?5:52E6] %96J 82G6 J@F?8 y:> u@=D@> D6G6C2= =2C86 8=2DD6D @7 3FEE6C>:=< E@ 5C:?< H9:=6 E96J D2E @? E96 A@C49 2?5 G:D:E65] k^Am
kAmq:8 y:> 2?5 E96 72C>6C 3@?565] %96 @=5 72C>6C =2>6?E65 E92E 96 H:D965 D@>63@5J H@F=5 A2G6 9:D C@25 D@ E92E 96 4@F=5 86E 9:D AC@5F46 E@ >2C<6E ?@ >2EE6C H92E E96 H62E96C] q:8 y:> =@DE E92E C246 7@C r@?8C6DD[ 3FE 96 ?6G6C 7@C8@E E92E @=5 72C>6C :? v6?6G2 r@F?EJ] k^Am
kAm(96? q:8 y:> 3642>6 8@G6C?@C 2 564256 =2E6C[ E96 7:CDE 5:CE C@25 96 A2G65 :? 9:D 72>@FD u2C>\E@\|2C<6E C@25 3F:=5:?8 AC@8C2> H2D E92E @?6 :? v6?6G2 r@F?EJ] xE :D 42==65 E96 qFEE6C>:=< #@25]k^Am
kAmq:8 y:> 8@E 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D D2:5 23@FE 9:> @? E96 42>A2:8? EC2:= H9:=6 96 H2D 8@G6C?@C[ 3FE 96 925 2 F?:BF6 H2J @7 5:D2C>:?8 2?5 5:>:?:D9:?8 E96 67764E @7 E96 >F5 36:?8 D=F?8 2E 9:>]k^Am
kAmw6 H@F=5 C62C 324< 2?5 E6== 9:D CFC2= 2F5:6?46D[ “|J >2>2 FD65 E@ E6== >6 E92E :7 D@>6@?6 E9C6H >F5 2E J@F 2?5 :E =2?565 @? J@FC ?6H H9:E6 DE2C4965 D9:CE[ J@F D:>A=J :8?@C6 :E] s@?’E ECJ E@ H:A6 :E @77 C:89E 2H2J H9:=6 :E :D DE:== H6E 3642FD6 :7 J@F 5@ :E H:== ;FDE D>62C 2== @G6C J@FC D9:CE] qFE :7 J@F :8?@C6 :E 2?5 =6E :E 5CJ 7@C 2 76H 52JD J@F 42? ;FDE E9F>A :E @77]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mkDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm$E6G6 u=@H6CD :D p=232>2UCDBF@jD =625:?8 A@=:E:42= 4@=F>?:DE] w:D H66<=J 4@=F>? 2AA62CD :? @G6C e_ p=232>2 ?6HDA2A6CD] w6 D6CG65 `e J62CD :? E96 DE2E6 =68:D=2EFC6] $E6G6 >2J 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]DE6G67=@H6CD]FDQmHHH]DE6G67=@H6CD]FDk^2m]k^Am
