The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-09-09
FIFTH DISTRICT
CAMPAIGN OPENS
With an Enthusiastic Meeting at
Alexander City.
ORATORY FOR THOMPSON
Democratic Party Cannot Afford to
Make Nominations on Technical
ties, Exclaims Mr.. Graham-Mr.
Hefin Was Humorous

| Hon Charles w. Thompson, Democratic
nominee for Congress, opened his campaign
| in Tallapoosa County today. Colonel
| Thompson, Hon. ]. b. Graham of ITALIA
dega and Hon. J. Thomas Hefin of Cham
bers spoke to an audience of some five hun
dred voters in the court house here today,
all advocating the candidacy of Colonel
Thompson. The meeting was an enthusi-
astic one, many in the audience coming
from Clay and Coosa Counties to hear the
orators Tallapoosa has not been mixed
! very much in the excitement attendant up
| on the campaign, as no one contested this
county with Colonel Brewer, and as a con-
| sequence the people seemed anxious to
| hear a statement of the claims of the can
| didates to regularity. Colonel Thompson
was very warmly greeted here, and such
party leaders as Colonel w. M. Lackey,
Hon. George A. Sorrel and Senator o. P.
Stevens say that in case both Brewer and
Thompson remain in the race that the lat
ter will secure at least one thousand ma
jority at the polls in November.
The meeting was held in the court house,
beginning at 2 o'clock. Hon. H. e. Gil
ham, member-elect of the General Assem-
bly,, presided, introducing the speakers. He
itio Io COHNlClloHS OIl TIC lcCIlHfCdl quSS-
lions of the recent convention, but he was
for the success of the Democracy and de-
sired the selection of a Democrat as rep
resentative of the Fifth district.
Hon. J. b. Graham was first introduced.
Mr.. Graham stated that he had but few
weeks ago spoken from the same platform
when there was fight within the party,
but today he came under different condi-
-ub ay of+ ba5
been lost sight of. He came not as a rep
resentative eli Charles w. Thompson, but
of the Democratic nominee of the Fifth
Congressional district. This statement
brought forth vigorous applause from par
tisans in the hall. Mr. Graham then en-
tered into a discussion of the question
to whether Colonel Thompson was the
nominee, speaking first for Clay and then
for Coosa County. He recited the action
of the State Executive Committee in CIV
ing both Clay and Coesa to Thompson, and
then the action of the Brewer partisans
at Goodwater in disregarding the action
of the state committee by allowing the
Brewer delegates from Clay and Coosa to
vote in their convention. The speaker read
a communication from Judge A j. Driver
of Chambers, who presented the minority
report of the Congressional committee, IN
which it claimed that vote by coun-
ties taken, resulting In 3,216 votes be-
Ing cast for Felix L. Smith for temporary
VI TIE COUNeEtlOL, anu IdltT the
same vote nominating Thompson as the
standa I'd bearer.
when the Brewer men tell you that their
man is the nominee, ask them for the bal
lot which nominated their man. said Mr..
Graham. ASK them how the eight votes
of your own county of Tallapoosa were
cast. Three of these delegates Messrs.
Smith, Sorrell and Christie, have stated
positively that they had instructed the
chairman of the delegation from their coun-
|l.Nt, -
Col. Bulger's name was withdrawn" Deaf
enng applause greeted this statement. Mr..
Graham then recited that it was impossible
for Brewer to have received a majority of
the votes in the convention, this leaving
him but 26. 1.-THE Brewer men claim the
nomination of their man on a technicality,"
he said "but the time has come when the
Democratic party cannot afford to make
nominations on technicalities as against
the expressed wish of a majority of the peo-
pie. The time is now when the people could
not afford to send a Republican to repre-
sent them in Congress- but a question still
dearer to them is, shall the expressed voice
of the white people be stiffled by machine
politics?'
He then presented the next speaker-"Not
Charles w. Thompson, but the Democratic
nominee for Congress in the Fifth Congress
sional District, who Is Charles w. Thomp
son." Colonel Thompson was greeted with
liberal applause
Colonel Thompson Speech
He said he came not to create discord
within the ranks of the party as some had
claimed, but to pour oil upon the troubled
waters. If he thought that his candidacy
would disrupt the party, he would with
draw, Notwithstanding that he had received
an overwhelming majority of votes of the
Democrats in the district. He went into
recital of the question involved in the con-
test, and the partisan actions of what he
claimed was a partisan executive commit
tee. He had contended from the day of the
announcement of his candidacy for white
Democratic primary to select the candidate
for Congress, but the district committee mad
refused these, he said, to give Brewer two
chances to pluck the nomination. He had
always been willing to trust the will of the
people in selecting their candidate. Colonel
Thompson said that Notwithstanding the
fact that corruption had been charged in
their campaign, he believed that politics in
the State was upon a higher plane than in
many years. inaugurated by the triumphant
nomination of that peerless and good lead
er, Col William ]. Sanford.
Colonel Thompson spoke with much elo-
quence and feeling in making reference to
the friends who had stood nobly by him in
his race
The speaker said that he had been criti-
cisod by some for attempting to have the
State committee called to settle the matter
of the nominee. If he had any fear of the
action of the supreme tribunal of the
chairman to call the committee and have
party. as Colonel Brewer seemed to have.
he too would have refused to ask the State
chairman to call the committee and have
the question settled for the good of the
people Colonel Thompson paid a tribute
to Hon. William ]. Bryan and for several
moments discussed the issues of the ma
tional campaign.
Mr.. Helm Concludes
Hon. J. Thomas Hefin of Chambers fol-
lowed Colonel Thompson in a characteristic
speech of eloquence. He spoke briefly upon
the claims of the two candidates to the
nomination and severely criticised Colonel
Brewers record and course
Tonight Messrs. Thompson, Graham and
Eefiin spoke to a large and enthusiastic
audience at Camp Hill. E. E. KERSH.
Thirty Mills Close Down
Manchester September S.-Thirty Lam
cashire cotton mills have tlready closed.