The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-23
GEN. HARRISON
AT M'DONALDS
Opelikan Spoke for EX-
Governor Johnston.
LARGE AUDIENCE PRESENT
Declared Governor of State
Should Be Lawyer.
Defended His Own Position and
Eulogized Birmingham Candi-
date as Superior to Jelks, but
Inferior to Morgan.


epce which was generous in its applause.
The Opelika speaker was In good trim.
He spoke with animation. He was en-
tertainng and kept the audience in good
humor. While 1t was apparent that a
ma jority of the audience was not in SYM
pathy with the cause, General Harrison
represented, the utmost good FEELING pre-
vailed. He was on the defensive from
start to finish. He consumed so much
time in defending his own record that
he did not say much about the man ne
was championing.
The chief argument presented by Gen
eral Harrison In favor Of Ex-Governor
Johnston was that the Birmingham can
| didate Is a lawyer and consequently ne
should be nominated for Governor.
The meeting was a satisfactory one to
| the Johnston managers for the program
| to all appearances was observed without
a hitch and those who were there 10
make a noise did their part well. Quite
| a number of Republicans and Popuhsts'
felix's men and a dozen ladies were pre-
sent along with the Johnston men,
About $3.50 O'Clock, General Harrison,
accompanied by Colonel w. II. Tisdale'
Messrs Bibb Graves, j. c. cheney
James Sullivan, G. T. Birch, w. H. May,
]. G. Cowan, w. 7. Kendrick ana one OF
| two other gentlemen took seats on the
| stage A few minutes after the speak
| ing began Mr.. r. e. steiner appeareu
| and took a seat just beyond the scenery
introduced by Col. Tisdale.
Colonel Tisdale introduced the speaker
as one of Alabama's noblest and truest
sons-a gallant ex-Confederate soldier
ever ready to fight the battles OF MS
state. whether political or military
The applause continued for moment
and as General Harrison started to speak
it began again and he paused.
He began by saying that history repeats
| itself. Six years ago when in East ZEN
nessee he had received summons 10
come home and tell the people how ne
| stood in the campaign then on. He iaid
| down the only office he ever cared 10
| have to speak his honest convictions then
| and he was here again to speak his sem
| timents and tell why he was supporting
Ex-Governor Johnston.
| He said he would not waste time 10
| answer the attacks Of a daily newspaper
| here, which had done him the honor 70
| COPY correctly what he said before the
| committee when the repeal of the Con-
| vention act was being agitated which ne
| approved then and approved now. lie
was ready to say the same thing again
He was an earnest advocate of the new
| Constitution from the beginning to the
"
ties: but it was the law of the State and
| why make IL an Issue? He had chosen
| between two Democrats-and hadn't he
| a right to do that in spite of the Con-
stitution or any other issue. he asked.
Before making up his mind to support
| Governor Johnston, General Harrison
said, he had written him to ask him how
he stood on the new Constitution and he
had answered like man and satisfac-
torily to the speaker.
Has it come to this?" asked General
Harrison. Must man be attacked be-
cause he speaks out and acts according
| to his honest convictions?"
| Say what you please about Johnston, he
| has never been known to prove false to
his word. Why heap abuse on his head
and on the heads of his advocates. and
why publish all over Alabama that am
advocating Johnston because Jelks de-
feated me for President of the Senate. y
General Harrison said he had been sent
TO the Senate under protest for he did not
ask It, He had investigated the situa-
ton and having found a majority Of Sen
ators committed to other candidates he
did not enter the race for the Presidency.
why did they repeat all of this in The
Advertiser today?' asked General Harri-
son.
Read Oates Letter
why do they put words in Governor
Oatess mouth that ne did not utter"
Here fhe speaker read letter from
Governor Oates as follows:
you were quite right about McIver s
report He is rather hard of hearing and
did not report me correctly. What 1 did
say was: Ny esteemed friend. General
Harrison, was spoken of and urged by
many to run for President of the Senate,
and had he done so and urged his candi-
dacy no doubt he would have beaten
Jelks and today would have held the Of
fee. This was the substance of what
said and ali l did say about him in my
| speech.
General Harrison said he hoped the re-
| porter would hear him correctly and was
surprised The Advertiser was sending re.
porters to get his speech who could not
hear him.
He said he did not believe Governor
Oates had said 1t. He had no feeling in
this matter. He looked ca 1t as a family
fight. and every Democrat had the right
to say which OF the candidates should be
Governor. He was in a position to make
a choice without prejudice and was look
ing alone at the ability and experience of
| the two candidates.
General Harrison said he had known
| Governor Johnston In the days OF recon-
struction and when he went before the
Legislature he got laws to relieve the
people of Dallas County from negro DOM
ination and made a good fight for the
white people of Dallas County. He-Gen-
eral Harrson-had voted for Governor
Oates against him; he had voted for Mr..
Clarke and for Senator Morgan
but now he said he was for
Johnston because he was as far above
Jelks as Morgan was above Johnston.
Obliged to The Advertiser.
In making his decision. General Harri-
son said. he was not forgetful of other
facts, chief among which was that John
| ston was in the war. He was obliged
| to The Advertiser. he said. for freeing
him from blame for bringing the Con-
| federate Veterans into the fight. He had
not had anything to do with it. but he did
know that Johnston was a veteran and
| that Jelks was not He did not think
1t the Governors fault. for If he had
been old enough he would have probably
! been there, but he was not there.
The State needs lawyer as Governor
| Just now, General Harrison declared as
| there are to be so many important
| changes from the old to the new organic
law and a man Of experience and ability
! Is needed II IL was an ordinary time
when only justices Of the peace notaries
public and such officers to be appointed