The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-15
Rival Factions Take Affairs in Hand and Introduce New
 Kind of Politics
BANKHEAD GETS FEWER
 SCARS THAN TIE CAPTAIN
Both Candidates Are Claiming Tusca- Ioosa, Which Is Regarded as the Turning County In
 the Contest.
BY BOHEMIAN c. BULGER.

BY BOHEMIAN c. BULGER.
 Tuscaloosa March 14-(Special.)-Th warning fleets of Captain Hobson and Con- gressman Bankhead met on the open sea today and in the presence of more than 1900 spectators encountered a new world power well worthy of their steel. This overpowering squadron was manned by 200 students of the State University and no powers of oratory or eloquence could stand before the stream of sarcastic and witty interruptions constantly poured into the speakers.
 The college boys were truly the masters of the situation and though the candidates struggled hard their most impressive logic was shattered by the whitening witticisms of the students. At the very beginning it was apparent that the youngsters would not stand for the ego idea and every at- tempt of the speakers to exploit their own careers was met with jeers of "toot, toot.' indicating that they were blowing their own horns.
 Time and time again both Hobson and Bankhead began a sentence with T tell you l did" etc., only to be drowned out with chorus of .'toot-toots" and com
  It was funny-excruciatingl funny-and old men. grown gray with dignity, laugh GU until their sides ached and tears streamed down their faces. It was some- thing entirely new in politics and an aw- tul situation for a speaker to face. Even the two men whose political future de- bends on the result of these debates, broke down and laughed heartily at the ludicrous interruption of the boys.
 Came to Have Sport.
 Tha ssadents had evidently ctshIc to tic speaking for the purpose of having sport and their plans did not miscarry. The boys favoring Bankhead lined up on one side of the gallery and the Hobson crowd on the other When one side would yell for Hobson the other would reply for Bankhead, and these cheering contests frequently kept the speaker waiting two or three minutes before there was suff- cient time for him to proceed.
 The boys watched the proceedings with intense interest and criticised the man they opposed with unmerciful sarcasm. They showed no reverence whatever for the dignity of the occasion, but with n- tense youthful partisanship let fly what ever their minds dictated and the shots usually hit the mark. They had man. her, very provoking to the debaters, but exceedingly ludicrous to the spectators, of furnishing the missing word whenever speaker hesltated for the purpose of se- lecting a choice expression. At one time Colonel Bankhead couldn't think of the proper word to say at the end of an elo- quent sentence and paused in his speech but kept making a gesture with his right hand A deep silence spread oyer the house, everybody listening for the con- cluding word, when suddenly shrill boy ish voice in the rear of the gallery began yelling Help help! help in an ironical appeal for sympathy and the crowd roared with laughter. Colonel Bankhead himself laughed and never concluded the sentence. This sort of thing kept up for three hours. neither side showing the slightest sign of mercy.
 The students were thoroughly imbued with the accounts of the recent debate at Hamilton, and every few minutes one of them would yell bring out the Peruna." This would bring forth a spontaneous burst of laughter only to be increased by another youngsters shout, Explain the kissing" They dwelt heavily on the in 1uences of Peruna however, and when ever Colonel Bankhead took drink of water a chorus of voices would shout Pass around old Peruna."
 Bankhead Escapes More Easily
 Both speakers took the Interruptions good-naturedly, but Bankhead escaped more easily than did Captain Hobson. The former naval officer attempted to answer he boys, and finally got them quiet but it was an awful task. Many thought he made a mistake in needing the interrup- tions, but his friends say he did not lose his temper but directed his remarks at the boys with the deliberate purpose of quiet ing them At any rate it was a battle of wits that shook the little opera house with laughter.
 To person unacquainted with the sit uation it was impossible to tell which speaker made the best impression on the crowd as the college boys monopoized the entire affair, It seems to be the general impression dn the streets of Tuscaloosa, however, that Bankhead will carry the county and his friends argue that he made many votes by his conservative and logical speech of today On the other hand one of Hobson's campaign managers said that he had counted seventeen voters who had been turned to the naval hero by his argument. The- re something like 100 men st~ of the opera house unF' and three polls were ma On two occasions it shoa Hobson and on an- othe The leaders of the cong at his majority ln Tusc be at least 800.
 Bankhead.
 It the visitors from Rirmil ty of Tuscaloosa was ft there seemed to be no divided citizen ship as oy the frequent polls O. tanding in the lobby o otel or on the street co
 The sl wo candidates were yer. as those made on forme yh some aro- matic spit the discus sions by If some new side issues tead devoted most of his improvement of the Wal le great in- dustrial futi county of Tuscaloosa. again criti- cized the wo id after att tacking his 'ecord con- cluded with | his navy idea
 Frank 6. Mo the Sixth