Staunchly progressive in its political stance, the "News" supported a straight-ticket Democrat platform in election seasons and championed progressive causes such as prohibition. The "News" led the drumbeat for the "Greater Birmingham" movement to annex suburban communities. The successful campaign caused the population of the City of Birmingham to grow from 40,000 in 1900 to 138,685 in 1910, at which time Birmingham was the third largest city in the South. That same year, Rhodes died and was succeeded by his vice-president and general manager, Victor H. Hanson (1876–1945).