The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-08
Large Crowd Hears Joint
 Debate. BEHAVIOR OF THE BEST
Personalities Eliminated by
 Candidates.
Hobson Holds Fast Train Forty five Minutes for Himself and Friends, and Bankhead
 Makes use of In-
 cident.
HY RRucE KENN0pY.

HY BRUCE KENNEDY.
 Fayette Courthouse. March 7.--lStaff Correspondence.)- .)-The foremost citizen of Fayette County. Congressman Bankhead. was given an ovation here this morning when he met Captain Hobson in joint de- bate before the largest, most orderly and digniiedly enthusiastic audiences that has yet gathered to hear the candidates for the Congressional nomination from the Sixth District
 Fayette was on parade and its good be- havior was noteworthy. A careful analy- sis of the sentiment displayed disclosed a strong almost unanimous, political pref erence for Bankhead, and patriotic ad- miration for the naval hero. as a hero. Thus 1t was that Hobson was received with cordiality into Bankhead's home town. Personalities were eliminated. the much-talked-of high plane was reached, and the gathering was good-natured in it's demonstration,
 The speeches were much the same, but Bankhead was in. fire form. He appeared confident and even debonaire. He was talking to the home-follxs. and he was on sure ground. The same assignment made HoDson appear cautious, and the general verdict was that Bankhead made the best speech and won the honors of the day, although Hobson was not without friends.
 Hobson Holds Train.
 The real incident of the day was the holding of fast passenger train at Fay cite by Hobson for forty-hve minutes un- til the speaking was over, so as to en. able him and a number of persons from Walker County to go east Hobson's ar. rangement was to go to Birmingham and thence to Livingston, where he begins a series of fifteen speeches alone tomor- row, going in at Intercourse.
 As the speaking was to begin at 1t o'clock and consume three hours, 1t was necessary for Hobson to secure consent from the railroad officials for the east bound passenger train due at Fayette at i2:i5 to stop there forty-five minutes and wait for the sailor and his friends. To the surprise of every one. the arrange ment was made, and the audience was treated to the novel scene of the train conductor begging Hobson to cut short his closing argument in order that his train, with its angry passengers. might proceed. Hobson having repeatedly charged Bankhead with being affiliated with railroads, the Congressman made a neat point of this incident.
 Fellow citizens" he asked, during my residence of twenty years here, did you ever know of me marching down to our railroad station. telegraphing to the
  and having a train flying to Birmingham with its Government mail. stop here for me7''
 Point Wildly Cheered.
 His neighbors did not wait for him to finish his point. They saw 1t and yelled. Hobson laughed and clapped his hands. He appreciates cleverness When he got up to close his argument, the keen-witted officer referred to the incident
 ''I merely telegraphed. to hold the train" he said. "in the name of seventy five ladies and gentlemen. That's the way do these things-openly."
 This reply to Bankhead was received with good-natured laughter and cheers. The train conductor climbed upon box and called to Hobson that his train must go, but with an imperious air, Hobson told the people to keep their seats, as- suring them that the train would wait. And 1t did. He leisurely proceeded with his argument to the end.
 This was Circuit Court day, and Fay cite was over-crowded. Scores of people, including some ladies, sat up all night in the office of the little hotel in order to hear the speaking. Judge s. H. Sprott of Livingston convened the court at 1C o'clock and immediately recessed until the afternoon.
 Crowd is Large.
 Fully 1500 persons were in Fayetse and they crowded about the court house square and swarmed into the big red building, the court room was soon fill d 800 persons being inside and nearly as many more in the street A hundred u1 more ladies. including Mrs. Bankhead had seats inside the bar rail. The crowd broke into cheers when Bankhead ap- peared, and Hobson, who had not besn noticed. joined in the hand clapping. The usual order of things was changed py Bankhead introducing Hobson, who spoke first Bankhead said: We are here tc discdss the issues of this campaIRn My distinguished young friend will address you one hour and a half. will close and he will catch a train for BirminS- ham. I bespeak for him the consider ation and courtesy that the people of FayettC County always pay a stranger In their midst"
 There was faint applause, and Hot.- son began speaking, thanking BankheI l but repelling the suggestion that he was a stranger In Fayette. Bdnkhead, he said had started out in these "lecture,' resorting to ridicule and bitterness, and he was glad to see indications of at elevated debate" There was mild au- plause with occasional cheers and codn- ter-cheers throughout his remarks. Dis
 
 charge that large majority of the a2- pointments had gone to the southern part of the district for political purposes. IIs also declared that if Bankhead though; his retirement by Congress would hav been a bad precedent, 1t was his duty to have worked against It. In an unas- suming manneer, peculiarly his owl Hohson sketched his naval career and quoted Admiral Simpson when he thought he tIiobson) was dying of typhoid, 'tiic world will never know the valuable woI k this young man performed for his cOuh- try"
 Absence of Egotism.
 Hobson has way of saying these things about himself that rObs them If the appearance of egotlsm and invaIi- ably awakens immense enthusiasts. Down at Horse Creek he said he found a rural mail route which had been cs- tahIgshad hy Congressman Underwood,