The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-26
sTALLNGs ON THE SCENE
Decides That Parker Cannot HaveAlabama'S Delegation.
The Butler County Humorist, For rhe EdiAcation of the Autauga- ties, Repeats His Famous
 Speciality of Imbibing
 from the Pitcher.
BY WILL T. STEPHAN.


 Prattville, March 25.-(Special) )-Secre- tary of State J. Thomas Hefin and State Senator Walter S. Smith entered the short campaign for Representative Tn Congress from the Fifth District as un- certainly and, as hesitatingly as two boys wading In the cold water of the swimming hole for the first time in spring.
 They came upon the campaign so sud- denly and so unexpectedly that there was no time for preparation for the fight and its issues There was no time for prepa- ration for the fight and its issues. There has been no time since the death of Con- gressman Charles W. Thompson, a few days ago, to plan a campaign, galvanize issues and look up records. The first joint discussion could not, therefore, have been otherwise than gentle and innocu- ous. Of course, a campaign of bitter per- sonalities could have been sprung at a moments notice, but neither of them elected to inaugurate such a campaign. The discussion was as free from person. alities as a chance street conversation between two cordial friends.
 Senator Smith made a manly speech, brief and to the point. outlining his views upon public questions. MT. Hehin re- viewed his record as a member of the Legislature and of the Constitutional Convention. He gave as best he could history of his public life. with several anecdotes interspersed
 He intimated that there might be live Her things before the campaign was over, His expression was. Boys, there's going to be fun in the Fifth"
 StaIlings Was There.
 And ex-Congressman Jesse Stallings was there He came in, as 1t were, at the end of the regular performance as the grand, glittering, scintilaNng and laugh able concert for which no admission was charged. It was the funniest sort of concert The Butler County entertainer did, all that was claimed fuRAhilh. and more, too If he ever needs certificate as an entertainer, the Autauga County voters who heard him today will cheer fully furnish tt. Judging by the discrim- mate way in which the Autauga County citizens applauded him, the testimonial would be given him as a fun-maker and a joker and not as a leader and states man.
 Judge Alton B. Parker, in his New York home, will be grieved to learn, and his friends in Alabama will learn with pain. that MT. Stallings will not permit the Alabama delegation to the St. Louis Con- vention to vote for him. MT. Stallings Is himself pained. But 1t became his duty to kill the Parker boom. It was an un- pleasant duty. But when lofty principles demanded that he should veto any efforts to have the Alabama delegates vote for Parker, the Butler County statesman was not a man to shrink and fall back
 Was he not the annointed guardian of the Democratic Ark of the Covenant cSS had he not sworn a solemn oath that it should not be profaned by the touch of an imp!ous hand? Perish the thought.
 Staying of the Parker Boom.
 MT. Stallings did not kill the Parker boom in Alabama in mere wantonness. More in sorrow than in anger he dealt 1t the fatal stroke.
 Mir. Stallings has reason to suspect the fealty of Judge Parker. These suspicious have not been confirmed. but MT. Stall ings will not permit any Alabama dele- gate to stultify himself by voting for one for whom MT. Stallings cannot Vouch Judge Parker is not Mir. Stallings's sort of a Democrat. He is not MT. Hearts sort of a Democrat. Judge Parker's friends will probably admit this. There be some of them. probably, who are short-sighted enough to take pride in the fact of his difference from MT. Hearst and Mir. Stalliags.
 Mir. Stallings has reason to believe that Judge Parker was not "trooly loil' in 1896. MT Stallings does not know this. but let Judge Parker beware, The Butler County sleuth is on his trail. If there is a dark secret in his political past the Butler County avenger will remorselessly drag it into the sunlight of publicity.
 Mr. Stallingss expression was. Judge Parker is a good man if he voted the Democratic ticket in 1S96 Now, we don't know whether he voted the Democratic ticket or not. He may have voted for Mckinley. But I tell you. boys, we are going to find out
 Mir. Stallings's turn was eulivened by his justly famous act of scorning the wa ter glass and drinking from the water pitcher. This stunt vas great. The house went wild when he did the trick with such ease and dexterity
 Stallings's Famous Speciality.
 The trick was not down on the pro- gram. It came with all the freshness and delight of a surprise. In the midst of his argument. Mir. stallings took dead ly aim at a spittoon afteen feet away. The shot was too low by bare quarter Of an inch, and the yellow fluid spat- tered along it's side Without waiting to waste any regrets upon his poor marks manship Mir Stallings stepped back to the Judges desk on which were a drink ing glass and large glass pitcher of wa ter. He looked disapprovingly at the glass; spying for the crowd to hear. "Oh, don't like that" Ha seized the hardIe of the pitcher in his right hand and sup ported the bottom with his left. He swung the pitcher deftly in the air. and stood with both legs bent His generous mouth partially closed around the top of the pitcher and half it's contents imme- diately disappeared. Wping his mouth with the back of his hand, he. turned to The Advertiser reporter, to whom, by the way he devoted much of his atten- lion. saying. Now. boy. don't put that down."
 The speeches were delivered in the county court house of Autauga county. The Grand Jury which had been in ses- sion during the past week. reported to Judge Terry Richardson at noon and the speaking began immediately.
 An Old Appointment.
 Two weeks ago circulars were sent out in Prattville announcing that MessTs. stalIinRa and Heain would address the