The age-herald., 1901-11-09
FAIL ID ARRANGE
 4 JOINT DEBATE Ex-Governor Johnson Declines
 a Joint Debate. EACH HAS HIS OWN THEATRE Friends of Mir. Knox Think Johnston Wanted Too Much Time and
 All the AudIence-Mr.
 Knox Shows Record.
EACH HAS HIS OWN THEATRE

Admission, November S.-(Special) )-When Ex-Governor Johnston arrived here this morning to speak against the constitu- tion he was asked for a division of time by the Democratic committee which had advertised Hon. John B. Knox to speak at the same hour.
 Governor Johnston's original appoint ment was advertised as Ii o'clock. but he changed it to 12 and stated to the committee which waited on him that there would be no time for a joint dis cussion, as his train left at 1:45 He promised to reply, however, within an hour and about 10:S0 o'clock he replied to the committee, stating that he would consent for MT. Knox to speak from Ii to 12 and he would speak the balance of the time to 1:45. and give MT. Knox no opportunity for a reply.
 The committee answered the Governor. calling his attention to the fact that the hour of the speaking had been changed to 12 o'clock and that it would be inn possible to get an audience there by Il, to hear MT. Knox, and that his proposition did not involve any joint discussion at all but they offered for MT. Knox to begin speaking at 11:30 and speak three quarters of an hour. Governor Johnston then could consume one hour and a qudltti, UT OIlt anu One-naiI hours, and MT. Knox speak such time afterwards as would equalize the time. By Il :SO o'clock, fair portion of the crowd might have been possibly assembled but mani festly it could not have been by Il.
 Attention was further called to the fact that the Democrats favoring ratification had uniformly divided time with the op- position in this county wherever re- quested, and that MT. Knox himself had divided time with MT. Stallings at Ope- liKa and Judge Longshore at Colum- biana.
 Johnston Begins Speaking.
 Governor Johnston replied declining the counter proposition, and at 12 o'clock began speaking and continued until 1:45. He announced in his speech that he had the auditorium rented for the whole day, where he was speaking.
 The larger part of his speech was taken up ridiculing the grandfather clause of the new constitution.
 The Johnston meeting was presided over by Capt. James Crook, who intro- duced the ex-Governor.
 MT. Knox's friends having learned that Johnston had rented the Auditorium for the day, rented the opera house, and by the time Johnston got through, had hand bills scattered all over town. stating that Mir Knox would speak at the opera house at 2 o'clock At the gate these circulars were distributed and every man willing to hear both sides of the question was invited to hear Mir. Knox.
 Although the time was exceedingly short. and the crowd had had no dinner, | by 2:30 an audience of white men had assembled in the opera house fifty per | cent larger than that which heard Gov | ernor Johnston, including a large nun I Der of those. who had come miles from the | country to hear the former.
 Knox Begins Ills Speech. MT. Knox began his speech at 2:3o, and | spoke until o'clock during which time | he showed Johnsto on's previous record with reference to the constitutional con-
 vention, and refuted every proposition of
 the Governors by his previous messages | to the General Assembly.
 l MT. Knox also read Colonel Denson's record on the subject, showing where he | had proclaimed the constitutionality of i the suffrage plan adopted by the conven- ton, and had advocated it only two years ago in a speech before the Demo- | cratic state convention of which he was | chairman. He also showed General Shel- l ly's attitude on the same question. l MT. Knox was frequently applauded l MT. Knox was introduced by Hon. R. P 1 Thomson of Oxford. A large number of ladies were in the audience.
 l Chairman Bowie of the Calhoun County | Democratic executive committee said to-
 day that Calhoun will go 800 majority for
 ratification.