Birmingham age-herald., 1894-11-03
4 ONB-SlDBD AFFAIR Was the Little-Skaggs Political
 Debate Last Night AN IMMENSE AUDIENCE Tompkins and Underwood Talk Plain Facts to a Good
 Crowd at BeSSemer.

debate that was between Little and Skaggs at o Brien's opera house last night.
 The occasion was a discussion of political issues of the day between James H. Little, democrat, and w. H. Skaggs, republican, and the affair was witnessed and listened to by full house. At one time standing room was at premium.
 Upon the stage were seated. Messrs. B. K. Campbell, J.J. Banks, Cornelius Cadle, J. w. Hughes, A. B. Thompson, W. H. Hun ter, s. D. Weakley and a host of other rep resentative citizens of both parties.
 According to agre ement MT. Little opened with speech of one hour, which was fol- lowed by an hour and half speech by MT. Skaggs, and clos Id with thirty minute speech by MT. Little. 4Te
 At o'clock the curtain went up and MT. Little was presented to the audience by MT. A. G. Smith, who said the speaker needed no introduction to Birmingham people.
 Mir. Little, without excuse or unnecessary preliminary remarks, began to relate to the audience what he proposed to prove, although it did embarrass him to have to follow in political discussion such dis tinguished gentleman as the one who spoke in the opera house tue night before.
 In the outset he stated the issue which confronted the people was nothing more than democracy against repubicanism, and 1t was upon the history of the demo- craClc party In Ala0ama that ne StO0d. lie recited the history of the dark days in Ala bama when carpet bag rule prevailed and when laws were enacted which are horri- ble when looked back upon. This he styled as the unwritten history of Ala bama. He read sections of the laws en- acted by the republicans which prevented vote from being challenged. These laws, he stated, would put all decent men to blush. Following up this he read report of the convention which nominated AL drich from the AGB- HERALD and how it was opened by prayer, and how the negroes figured so conspicuously.
 ''Th1nk of republican nonventiQn be- ing opened with prayer. The nextjthing you hear of will be the gamblers otening jack pots with prayer, said he.
 He told how ignorant negroes in Carpet bag days were appointed to office, Ind said that some leading republicans IrSthat day were in this campaign and gently reminded the people that if the gentleman whose platform was a free ballot and a fair count was elected bssy might look out for repe- He Hey - Sy gone dayssi dasysasively how protection worked against the workingman in reduc- ing wages and the shutting down of fac- tories, thus throwing thousands of men out of employment.
 He cited instances where hardware was sold in Australia at 50 per cent less than at the manufacturer door, and asked where the laboring man got his benefits from that. As country ruined by protec- tion, and where the price of labor is less than anywhere in the world, he cited Ger many. He plainly showed how the rich are being made richer and the poor poorer under protective legislation. He followed up his theme with strong and effective argument until time was called.
 W. H. sKAGGs.
 MT. Skaggs was introduced by MT. Will. liam Vaughan in pleasing manner.
 He began his speech by taking up some- thing that MT. Little had said about his personal grievance against Mir. Cleveland, and fiatly denied the fact that he ever asked for the position of comptroller Of the currency, but finally admitted that he had intended to do so.
 His speech from beginning to end was really amusing, for even to one who fol- lowed him closely it could not be told where he was at. He talked about every time that he was "anything.'' He spoke against democracy and for it; he spoke for repubicanism and against it. He said that he believed that future generations would point to Mckinley as the greatest against verything that Cleveland was in favor of, and was tirade on the demo- cratic administration.
 As an historical oration it would have done honor to school boy, but as politi- cal argument it was a failure.
 During the course of his speech some one in the audience said:
 ''Why did wool go up?''
 'tBecause the Wilson bill had not gone into effect,' answered Skaggs. Section of the tariff act of 1894, free list, says that on and after October 6, 1894, that all wool of the sheep, hair of the camel, goat al- paca, etc. shall be exempt from duty.l
 MIR. LITTLE's REPLY.
 In his reply to MT. Skaggs' speech Mir. Little, in the sh ort time that he had, de- tended well all of the points made by his opponent. He stated that he had gone to mills, and that the most intelligent of them say that to them protection isn't worth a cent; that it is their labor organ. izations which uphold wages.
 The rest of his speech was well put and of strong argument.