The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-01
BIG BANKHEAD-HOBSON DEBATE
 AROUSES GREAT ENTHUSIASM
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-~>-~-~~>-------~ the captain back from China and let him tell us something of the Sixth dls- drict, and Alabama. He talks about the seas and China, but don't know anything about the Sixth district You people don't know anything about China and if you are like me you don't care. l have all ways voted to keep these Chinamen away from America and l will continue to do so.
 .'The black peril'' here in Alabama excla med the congressman. lis ten fold worse than the much talked or yellow peril in the orient"
 Grew Little Bitter.
 The congressman grew little bitter at this point and began refuting statements made by Hobson He told about a state ment made by Hobson that he had ap- pointed naval cadet out of his distict. The young man in question was a Mir Rawls of Athens, Ala. He denied this absolutely and said Captain Hobson knew better. Captain Hobson interrupted to say that he had made a mistake and had apologized and wished to do so publicly again.
 He then asserted that Hobson had gone before the committee at Tuscaloosa and had told them the reason he was not registered was because he was absent from the state at the time on govern 
 ment duty.
 q wish to say" continued Bankhead. that at the time he was on leave of absence from the navy department and could go when and where he pleased During part of that time he was featuring for the Pond bureau at a salary of S200 night
 Hobson In Bare Legs.
 Colonel Bankhead then gave a vivid description of Captain IIobson in his bare legs and silk bathing suit at one of the sumer resorts having fun while the country boys were down here regis tering Turning to the boys, Colonel Bankhead said:
 ..You're just as good under the law as anybodys national figure. which be- lieve Captain Hobson calls himself.
 This brought forth cheers. He then took up the Warrior river lock question. and showed from records that the War rior locks were larger than those on the great Monongahela and other rivers which transport coal, besides, he said, the engineers were responsible for the size of the locks.
 T have a statement here showing that 10000 tons of coal. more than the entire production of Alabama in day can pass through those locks in ten hours
 Hobson Retirement Question.
 He then took up the Hobson retirement question He said such a thing was without precedent, and he opposed it. He said Hobson wanted to get out of the navy on a pension of S200 month so as to enter politics. He suggested that this pension was to be used as campaign fund. Captain Bankhead scofed at the idea of China and the cotton question. and said that the farmers had better go to raising their crops and let China and the Orient alone.
 He then referred to the little skirmish between United States and Spain and in- cidentally brought in some dramatic l episodes of the civil war. He told of the time he picked up old man John Gus ter on his shoulders and carried him out of danger while he was wounded. While relating this tears came from Bankheads s | eyes and many wet checks could be seen l in the crowd. His descriptive powers were almost marvellous and made pro- | found impression.
 1 Tn those days" he said in broken ac- cents we were all heroes" | Colonel Bankhead then asserted that