The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-18
SHERIFF INSISTS THAT
 NO INSULTS BE OFFERED
Hobson Says Little About His Naval Bill, But Defends His Naval Record-Bankhead Is
 Among Friends.
BY H. S. RYALL.

Eutaw. March iaL)-After brief breathing spell and cessation oI hostilities at short rangef Captain Hopsoh and Coneressman Bankhead today toh ai extra grip on their campaign bludgeons' smiled confidently upon a sea Of upturheu and nartisan faces and the battle or the hustings was renewed.
 The line of argument of the speakers 1ras inc same as that of their former de- hates. although Hobson did not bring ms
 ,.a, bilI to the front as prominently as heretofore.
 Long before 10 o'clock, the hour or the speaking, crowds were fioclzing to the court house and by the time the canol- dates arrived every seat was occupieu anu +he aisles and entrance to the court room were crowded. It is estimated that there ,,,ara fire or six hundred people present. of this audience many were women anu children. It is said, however that luily as.,, ,,or cent of the qualified voters or creane county attended the speaking.
 Noisy Scenes Are Threatened.
 pofore the meeting was called to order indications were that the noisy seenes rusoaloosa would be repeated. Cnes ol .Rring on old Peruna!' "Hurrah lor 'ne ola war horse 'Hurrah for the helo V. inc Merrimac!" were shouted pack anu forth up and down the room "nei, 4obson appeared the din and shouts anu hurrahs wer increased hundred ioiu' when Rankhead walked down the aisie .,. ovation was terrific His partlsahs t,.,, tboi, hats in the air, women waved tpa,r bandkerchiefs and clapped thelr .,,,a If seemed as if tae congress mans following was in large niaJoAis' sheriff Edward c. Meredith climbed up on a table and called for order. Nei'i,ei of inc sneakers must be insuiteo' As .4a .1 am the sheriff of this county
 "a if +bere are any insults or Jeers, s',iii mi the man out that does IL ieit
 a hoIov as much as you want to' pu'
 s.,,-a ,ot to keep order,' saying Wnich be sat down and the audience sat sun ioi awhile. s tho county MT John Cook, chairman or the C,a couiiss democratic executive committee ol .a county, and hardware merenane ie.u isa,s ,,resided. He introduced the speaAeiS briefly
 csntain Hobson Speaks First
 cantain Hobson spoke first for an hour and fen minutes. He stated that at lne hapining of the joint debates ms oppo S,, ,ost had attempted to heap ridlcuie upoi him. "a ~;d;o,,le until ,4 a,nost went beyond the measure oll ,durance' he said. ''He called me a ,ennblican; he called me a carpetpassei, he taunted me for my rel1glon' ne prousns in personalities that should never haNe hoen brought in. He tried to hold up my service to my country to rldlcule, sasliis tbat I was a government maoe nhai,' while he was a sef-made man. tiliiiN ,t ,,,eu to clear up these questions pefore
 consider larger and more important ones" ,,.a lie ser- ;a from the time he was appointed cadet at fourteen; how he stood Irst III lie classes how he won his promotion py merit; of his work ana outies as ns' ai 4 aonstructor. and of his being ordered 10 saa something unknown before in the ,is3or1 of the world. My honorable op- onart tells of his experience in the con fe5arate army" he said; tells how he arriad a wounded man from the battle Geld honor him for the services ne rendered his country. l honor every soi- dier who fought in the confederate army. pnt has he ever told you anything that his men dldF ,. IIohson then in dramatic and eloquent terms paid a glowing tribute to the men who were with him on the Merrimac; now he had looked after them and seen 10 their comforts after the war was over, and their tribute to him for his interest in them.
 Calls Hlm a Wire Fuller.
 Ie then accused Bankhead of gaining his seat in congress by wire pulling ie has retained his seat in congress Tor eighteen years by extraordinary poltlcai sagacity. He stands today as the aDlest man in the world for political manipula- tton' exclaimed Captain Hobson
 He then touched on the subject of com 2etitfve examinations, stating that II elected he would hold competitive exam nations in his district for appointments 10 Annapolis and West Point; that he would exclude negroes from the examlna- tions: that all white boys between the ages of fourteen and eighteen years would be allowed to participate.
 He charged Bankhead with neglecting to secure rural free delivery in his dis trict claiming that only two rural routes had been established; pointed to the fact that all other districts of the state had been favored in this respect, as in others, more than the Sixth; called attention to the fact that in Congressman Under woods district in Jefferson county alone there were twenty-eight routes.
 He discussed at some length the locks on the Warrior, asserting as heretofore that they were too small and were inao- eouate: that it was unfair to compare them with locks on the Monongahela or Kanawha, which were barely more than creeks He charged Bankhead with vot- ing with the railroads on all questions. and read from records to substantiate his claims.
 Bankhead Makes Reply.
 Congressman Bankhead in his reply as- serted that his record was his platform; that he had done nothing which was not 10 the best interest of his country and party. He defended his position vigor- ousIy on all points assaiIed with force and eloquence He stated that he was surprised at the low plane on which his opponent had pitched his campaign; that