The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1904-03-31
Congressman Bankhead Visits Col
umbuS.

1
ter tanning a distinguished visitor
last Sunday IN the person of Con
gresham John II. Bankhead, of
Alabama, who is just now en-
gagged in one of the most memoir
able campaigns ever known in
his district. Mr.. Bankhead came
to this city from Carrollton, Re
form and Gordo, where he spent
the latter part of last week speak
ing in behalf of his Congressional
claim and his visit and stay here
were enforced by his desire to
reach MillpOrt, Ala, by Monday,
where he was scheduled to meet
Mr.. Hobson in joint debate. Mr..
Bankhead was accom- panied by
his wife and they stopped at the
Commercial Hotel where they
received many friends and
callers. for the distinguished Ala
bamian is universally liked here
and has a wide circle of friends
who esteem him for his many
splendid qualities and for the adj
mirable work he has done for
our sister State. Mr.. Bankhead
was in the Commercial parlOr
and he was besieged by callers
Sunday morning until train time.
They represented men in all
walks of life and general was the
wish that his service in the Ma
tional Legislature NAV con
tinue many, many years to come.
Congressman Bankhead of
course referred to the campaign
in which he was engaged. He
said that at first he was some
what surprised at the fuss and
furOre created by his handsome
young opponent, but found out
that it came from the Young peo-
| pie and upon closer analysis he
learned that the sober, thought
full, conservative interests of his
district were for him. He stated
that he had made a careful can
vass of the situation and did not
think Mr.. HobsOn would carry
but one county in the district,
that being his home county OF
course
He turned his attention to
Hobson s pet scheme, the billion
dollar naval bill, and showed, as
the Washington Post has shown,
that Notwithstanding Mr.. Hob
son s eloquent plea for a mighty
: navy, that it was wholly IN.
necessary for such expenditure,
as the United States when the
ships at present authorized and
under construction were com
pleted, would have the second
strongest navy in the world. He
: further referred to his oppo
nent's hobby and said that the
: expense of building such navy
| would be a small item compared
: with the cost of maintaining it.
: 1t would require a vast increase
/ in the naval forces, would neces
/ state building innumerable coal
ing stations, docks, etc, and
2 would cost additional billions tC
/ the people of this country
T When asked about HObsOn S
+ claim that the locks in the Bigbee
l and Warrior were too small
and would ultimately have to be
torn out for larger ones, he re
ferred to Mr.. Burton S estimate
: of this work. Mr.. Burton is the
S Chairman of the Rivers and Har
/. Dor Com mittee and is considered
y the best authority on work Of
2 this character in the country
t Seeing that Hobson was making
the charge that these locks were
too small Mr.. Burton came out
in a voluntary interview last
week stating that they were
D among the best locks in the
a world and would accommodate
! all of the commerce the streams
were capable Of sustaining. Mr.
+, Bankhead did not know whether
: his opponent had recovered sui
/ fciently to be at Millport Mon
day or not, but stated that he
2 would certainly be there and