The age-herald., 1898-11-05
BIRMINGHAM
 WAS SHUT OUT Government Bought Coal Tor Waf Yes
 sells in Virginia. MINE OWNERS POLITICIANS Representative Underwood Speaks at
 Rolling Mill ON REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION Told Laboring Men How It Was Work ing Against This District-Repub- icans Will Have Rally at
 Bessemer Tonight.
ON REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION

rally last night at the Birmingham rolling mills. oscar W. Underwood, the democratic nominee for congress from the Ninth con- gressional district, was the speaker of the evening, and the employees of the mill and others living in that vicinity turned out in large numbers at Syl Daly's restaurant to hear him.
 Syl Daly called the meeting to order, and Alderman Harrington was elected chair man. The latter, in a few well-chosen words, introduced MT. Underwood, who was applauded right heartily by the evidence.
 MT. Underwood did not discuss all of the big questions which are now confronting this government, such as the tariff, the new foreign policy of the United States and other similar questions, but confined him. self to the discussion of how the republi- can administration was directing almost its whole power against the Birmingham dis trict and all of it's industries, question in which every man present, nearly every one of whom was working man, was most vitally interested.
 Bought West Virginia Coal at S7.6O
 The point that MT. Underwood laid par ticular stress upon was the fact that the birmingham district was almost entirely overlooked when the government was pur- chasing such great quantities of coal dur ing the war, although it was offered at much less price than it could be had in any other part of the country
 The government bought nearly all of the coal that was used on its transports and warshps from the Davis mines in West Virginia, for which 1t paid $7.60 delivered These mines are controlled by Senator FL kins and by former Senator Davis, who are both strong political supporters of the president.
 Alabama Coal Offered at S3.4O
 MT. Underwood said that he in behalf of the mining companies of Alabama offered coal to the war department delivered in Tampa for s3.4O per ton. But the govern ment made the excuse that they must have 1t at Key West, and on account of the lack of American vessels necessary to get the coal from the mainland of Florida across the few straits to Key West, the Alabama companies were knocked entirely out of the deal English vessels could have been ob- tained to take the coal across, but the de- partment said that 1t was against the law for American war vessels to take their coal out of any foreign ship in the time of war; MT. Underwood said he then introduced a bill in congress asking that this law be amended, but Czar Reed would never let the bill come up for discussion from the foreign commerce committee, to which it had been referred.
 It Is true, he said, that between 20 900 and 30,O00 tons of Birmingham coal was sold to tn government for coaling the few trans ports which came to Mobile, but the only reason that Alabama and not Virginia coal was used was because it was needed in a hurry and Birmingham coal was the only fuel that could be obtained.
 MT. Underwood dwelt on other topics which vitally effected the workingmen of the Birmingham district, and he was list ened to most attentively all the way through his speech. One or two other speakers who were to have been present, were detained on account of sickness, so that MT. Underwood was the only speaker The rolling mill men will turn out in a body to vote for MT. Underwood's return to congress from the Ninth district.
 Rally at Adger Tonight
 Tonight there will be a big rally at Adger, where besides MT. Underwood
 
 speakers A big celebration has been pre- pared in honor of the occasion.
 As has been stated, the greatest difficulty that is met by Chairman Thach and the campaign committee, is that so few of the democrats seem to take any very active interest in the election. They take 1t as foregone conclusion that MT. Underwood will be elected, and they don't go to the trouble to agtitate or discuss the matter. A number of men have been found who actually didn't know that there was to be an election next Tuesday.
 woodIawn Meeting
 The democrats at woodlawn adopted an excellent course at that city last night. John s. Kennedy, their beat committee man, called a meeting of all the democratic voters, and they laid out districts which each one of them should visit Every democratic voter in the beat was to be notified that there would be an election next Tuesday, and that it will be bis duty to his party to turn out and vote.
 The Republicans
 Very little can be heard of MT. McEniry, the republican nominee from this district and almost nothing at all from L. L. Schwarz. whom the negro republicans put out.
 A. Wade, chairman of the McEniry cam- paign committee at Bessemer, was seen yesterday and he stated that he thought his party's prospects for winning were ex- ceilent. He said they were making very little blow about what they were doing. but that their quiet man-to-man work among the voters of the district was re- sulting in great good.
 Tonight MT. McEniry and other promiI nent republicans will speak at Biocton, and Monday night their campaign will be 6y,icl,od ,v O o1lv at T2aeoornar