The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-10

for congress from the Seventh district. This Is Burnett's home town, and in his address he had his audience worked up to a high pitch of enthusiasm. Farmers from every beat in the county began 10 arrive early in the morning and when the two candidates entered the court room at the appointed hour every availa- ble space was occunied. Many stood in the aisles during the entire two hours and gave enthusiastic attention through out.
 Burnett Greeted With Applause.
 Burnett was the first to speaf and when he arose to address his fellow townsmen every one of whom were his personal friends, he was greeted by tremendous outburst of applause that lasted for sev- eral minutes. MT. Burnett spoke for three- quarters of an hour, saying that this was the fourth time that he had come before the people asking for their votes, but this time in way different from the others, because on former occasins he had had no opposition. Said he;
 My hard fight has come. This time man from another county has decided that he wants my job. Each time l have had the honor of running for congress have increased the democratic majority in my district. You gave me a large majority the third time and you are 6o- ing to do so again. Two years ago had a hard fight but finally whsn the votes were counted 1 had the larges! ma jority received at any previous election. Now I am before you again for the fourth time and l met by gentleman from another county who says l ought not to go to congress because ride on pass.
 Lusk's Idea of Issue.
 Now he says this Is the issue: Bur nett ought not to go to congress; because he rides on a pass but will show you that there Is another issue. l challenge him to show one single instance where passes ever made me vote against the interests of my people. Loud appiause.) So then there Is an infinitely more im- portant question at stake than railroad passes. Congress assigned me to the com- mittee on public lands and bill was introduced before calling for an ap- propriation of 25,000 acres of land for nor maj school purposes, but the committee refused to pass it at my own request. Did that look like represented railroads and trusts?
 Another bill was introduced proposing to appropriate all the public lands to the public schools. I did not believe that homestead lands should go this way. But I said there are 900 acres of mineral lands and I want to amend that bill for the benefit of the public schools of my state. With my amendments the bill passed the committee by unanimous vote, and lands worth s1, ,00O, 900 will go into the public school fund in Alabama. These are the real issues in this campaign, not railroad passes.
 Cannot Serve Two Masters.
 "Lusk says l can't serve two masters. defy him to show wherever the interests of my people have suffered by reason of my connection with railroads. Loud ap- plause and cries of 'Goodi) This is my record and I propose to stand there. Three times Lusk says he has voted for me, and nothing was ever said about railroad passes until he got to wanting my job and then he haised howl about it.
 'He Is inconsistent. for not one word did he ever say about passes until he took a notion that he would like to go to con- gross. Lusk went to the legislature one time and took an oath to support the con- stitution. He had $500 stock in a bank at Guntersvile, and although he swore he would examine into the condition of all banks in the state, yet he didn't do it. Banks failed all over the state and many mems hard-earned savings were swept away. because Lusk failed to do what he had sworn he would do. Now he says if he is elected to congress that the railroad passes will not affect him, when his record shows that a little bank stock of only $500 kept him from doing his duty. He went to the legislature as attorney for the bank and yet he says I ought not to go to con- gress because am a railroad lawyer.
 Talks Much About Letters.
 MT Lusk talks much about certain let ters I have written at different times, which he claims he has in his possession. I want you to know how he got those let ters Fitzpatrick, my secretary got mad because I discharged him and took my private letters and turned them over to I,usk. I ask you how much better is the man who takes private property and uses If against a competitor than the man who steals that property?'
 MT. Burnett spoke just forty-five min utes and when MT. Lusk arose to reply the audience welcomed him with a good round of hearty applause. Lusk spoke for an hour and many times was interrupted by applause
 q am before you as a candidate for congress, and am a democrat true and tried, notwithstanding Burnetts state ments to the contrary" declared Lusk. "I have never refused to address any democratic convention whenever asked and never asked for a pass to go to such conventions.
 .T will discuss only one of the principal issues that is involved in this campaign. When simmered down to it's final analy- sis the question is this: Shall the dem- ocratic party and through the democratic nartv the people of the Seventh district be delivered to the railroads and trusts to be bound hand and foot and gagged?'
 Question of Vital Interest.
 "A great question. and one of vital in- terest to all the people of Alabama, is the question of transportation. It amounts annually to s25.000. GOO, or two and one- half times the amount of your state debt