The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-28
SCREWS FOR SECRETARY.
Will be a Candidate for That Office in
Constitutional Convention.

Montgomery, December 27.-(Special.)-
Captain Ben II. Serves, of Montgomery,
will be a candidate for secretary Of the
constitutional convention. He was the Sec
rotary of the convention held in 1875, and
is thus well acquainted with the duties OF
the office. Captain Screws is a member of
the present general assembly, and he has
wide reputation as an orator. He is
one of the easy and most fluent speakers
in the present house. Whenever he arises
on the floor to address the house there Is
close attention from every member. One
of Captain Screws prettiest speeches of the
session was his welcome on behalf Of the
legislature to Lieutenant Richmond P.
Hobson, which was as follows:
Mr.. President: The committee, on be-
half of the general assembly and its con-
stituency of two millions of people, ex-
tend the glorious young Alabamian whom
we have in charge a cordial fraternal and
Joyous greeting at the consecrated capital
OF his native state. He has ilumined the
pages of Alabama history for all time to
come, and his fame, as universal as it is
fadeless, will go down on the accumulat-
ing tide of glory to succeeding genera
tons, even unto the last recorded syllable
of time.
"Bonaparte, crossing the Alps, with his
steel-clad warriors, threading the SHOWS of
Mount ST. Bernard, and gazing from its
dizzy heights down on the sunny plains OF
Italy, was not so heroic figure as this
magnificent Albanian, when, with his de-
voted band, he entered the vital part of
an enemys country, beneath the appalling
whirlwind of lead and iron, on that men,
orable morning in June. The famous YES
sci which landed Caesar and his fortunes
carried but ignoble freight compared with
that which the Merrimac bore over the
death traps and through the unearthly flu
SHADE into the yawnng and fire-reddened
channel at Santiago. Unlike Leonidas at
Thermopylae, or Travis at the Alamo, or
Gordon, in the last despairing scenes at
Appamattox, his band of patriots had not
even a suggestion of the means of self
defense, and even the pride and rapture of
the strife to encourage them, calmly,
deliberately, courageously, they offered
their lives in their country's service. Such
a man as Hobson the Grecians would
apotheosze, while amongst the Romans his
statue would adorn the Pantheon.
His high mate of the word duty, the
simplest, yet the Hottest motto that ever
biazoned upon warriors shield or a ma
tion's arms, his superb courage, his sub
lime patriotism, his heroic, particular deed,
standing out in bold relief, without rival
and without a peer the splendid modesty
with which he wears his honors and re-
eeiYeS the plaudlts of his countrymen, are
the pride and birthright of every true Ala
bamian. And so long as the bright star
answers to the name Alabama on the
star-spangled banner of this union so long
as her proud sons and daughters glory and
exult in the peerless galaxy of her illus
trious names, that long will the entwined
name of Richmond Pearson Hobson the
ideal patriot, the modest hero, glimmer re-
splendently-the brightest jewel which gilt
tiers there.
And now, like the McGregor, with his
foot upon the heather of his native hills,
his eye on the peak OF Ben LoMond, within
the strong but gentle embrace OF his own
people, we bid the hero thrice wlcome
here.