The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-13

in legislative matters. he at once took a high stand in the Sem ate of Alabama with some of the lead Ing men of the State, and his work and influence as a wise, safe, aggressive but conservative legislator. was felt through out the whole State of Alabama. Before his term expired as State Senator, and at the suggestion of some of his ardent admirers he entered the race for Con- gress to represent the Fifth District of Alabama; and the people, who read the papers are all familiar with the Brewer and Thompson contest, which was one of the most memorable in the history of the whole State. In that campaign Colonel Thompson developed remarkable ability as stump speaker, notwithstanding the fact he had never made public speech until he entered that campaign. After having been nominated he was opposed by MT. Miistead. the Republican candidate, who spent thousands of dollars to defeat him, and yet the strong hold he had upon the people by his campaign in the primary between himself and Colonel Brewer en- abied him to defeat Mir. Milstead by nearly ten thousand majority.
 Tn the second campaign he was opposed by Colonel Brewer and won the nomina- ton in a district primary by an over whelming majority.
 Shortly after the Kolb and Jones con- test for Governor. when the white people of Alabama were divided he was chosen as Chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee of Macon County: and under his wise and successful administration. hey succeeded in bringing back into the folds of the Democracy of Macon County those Democrats who had gone off with the Populist party, and today the white people of Macon stand in solid phalanx under the Democratic banner. Tn the Morgan. Colonel Thompson led the fight for Governor Johnston in Macon County; and. notwithstanding Senator Morgan,s s great popularity and strong hold upon the people of that County, Macon was one of two counties in the whole State that went for Johnston. Colonel Thompson has al- ways been an aggressive. determined and unreIenting fighter in politics: and has never been defeated in any of his poiiti- cal undertakings.
 When he went to Congress there was not Q single rural free delivery route in operation in the Fifth District, and Col onel Thompson at once decided that he could render the most substantial service to his constituents by dsvoting his time to- the establishment of that splendid sys- tenn in his district. His first speech ia Congress- was in favor of the establish ment of the rural free delivery on a high and respectable basis, and was considered one of the abiest speeches made in Con- gress on that subject. Through his untir- ing efforts he has succeeded in having es- tablished in the Fifth District during his first term of two years fifty-two routes. which deliver mail to over 5000 people in his district daily. and distribute to the carriers %31, 200 annually for carrying the mall. He has revived a great many ,.cid Southern war claims and has some D Na- pect of securing the payment of some of these claims.
 During his sfrst term in Congress he was placed upon the War Claims Com mittee. which is one of the most import ant in, the House: and recognizing his business ability, he has been honored by the newly elected Democratic loader. the Hon. John Sharp Williams, by worthy promotion in committee assignments. and has been assigned to the Banking and Currency, Committee in addition to his place on the War Claims Committee. This is rather unusual for a second term mem- Der. but only demonstrates his wonderful ability
 During his first term, when crumpacler of Indiana was agitatiag his resolution to investigate the election laws of the South. with the view of cutting down Southern representation. in Congress, and when a very bitter feeling existed between the members of the North and the South, Colonel Thompson. displaying the same tact in politics that he had always shown in business, conceived the unique idea of inviting Mir. Crumpacker and a large number of the leading Northern represen- tatives in Congress to come with him to Alabama as his guests. and at his ex-
 pense, in a special car to investigate and study for themselves the race question and the propriety and wisdom of the elimination from the. franchise of Ala
 bama the ignorant negro vote. This plan
 was at once endorsed by the leading news papers throughout the United States, in- Icluding not only the Democratic papers of the South, but the bitter partisan Re-
 publican papers of the North. It was con-
 ceded by all to have originated in the
 brain of a statesman. who by his wonder tul grasp of affairs could take hold of a
 great national question and handle 1t sue Icessfully in plain, practical business
 manner. The Northern Representatives
 were cordially and gladly received by ev- cry citizen of Alabama save one or two,
 and were elegantly and gloriouslv enter
 tained by the citizens of Tuskegee. Mo-
 hile. Montgomery and Birmingham. in Alabama. by the citizens of Chattanooga,
 Tenn, and Asheville. N. C.. Special re-
 uorters were sent by the leading papers oi
 the North to telegraph everything that
 transpired on the trip. and 1t was pub
 lished in nearly every paper In the United States The result was far-reaching and
 everyone acknowledged that Charlie
 Thompson builded better than he knew
 The Northern Representatives who came
 with him. and who visited the negro or
 his native heath. and who were permitted
 to see for themselves the liberal treatment
 by the white people of Alabama of the
 negro in their school privileges, theiI church and all other privfIeeea returned