The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-29
IS SENT
 ID CAPT. ROBSON Lomax M. Smith Answers
 Charges Made. GIVES ACCURATE REPORT Vernon Speech of Colonel MccolIum Was Written Up from the Ac-
 counts of Those Who
 Were Present.
GIVES ACCURATE REPORT

Jasper, February 2s.-(special)-The fol- lowing letter has been mailed to Capt R. P. Hobson at Hamilton, Ala, with ref erence to his denial of matter published in the Age-Herald through its Jasper cor respondent:
 Jasper, Ala, February 2, 1904 Capt. R. P. Hobson, Hamilton, Ala.
 Dear sir-I am informed by the Age Herald of your telegram to the effect that 1 mis-stated facts concerning Col M. B. McCollum's speech, in the interest of Con- gressman Bankhead at Vernon, Ala, on the 23rd.
 I challenge you to show one misstate- ment of fact chargeable to me reported the speech just as given to me by Col McCollum and others present. without comment which is shown by the article itself.
 l have fairly stated your side of the case, reporting your speeches as near as possible in your own words, refraining from comment, and stating facts with out color; and have, and expect in the future to report Colonel Bankheads side of the matter exactly the same way.
 l omitted reporting such references in Colonel McColum's speech as might be calculated to give offense. one reference not reported being to the effect that peo- pie attend your meetings in about the same spirit as they would go to circus, in other words, to see and not to hear.
 Make Glowing Reports.
 1t seems to me that you would have the press of the country make glowing reports of your addresses, and deny the publication of anything done by Mir Bankhead's friends, which is evidenced by the manner in which your reports are sent out, being done by your private sec retary.
 The young man travelling with you, and signing himself Private Secretary and who circulates cards bearing the name of one of Alabama's leading daily papers has sent exaggerated reports of your meetings at Jasper and Cordova to the papers, which fact can be proven by your own supporters, to say nothing of reports of other meetings.
 The young man in question reported that there were eight hundred people in your Jasper audience, while your warm est friends here have never claimed more than.four hundred, which fact I can yer fly by the affidavits of your own sup porters, who are familiar with the size of the hall, and who were present He sent out a report from Cordova to the effect that farmers came from great dis tances to hear you, that the large hall was inadequate to accommodate the
 
 ed operation to allow the employees to hear your speech. Now this is a gross mis- representation of the facts.
 Idea Is Absurd.
 The idea that farmers came great dis tances to hear you is absurd; there were number of chairs near me that were unoccupied, which fact I can sub stantiate by your friends; and the cot- ton mill has a half holiday every Satur- day in the year, which fact can be veri- fled by communicating with MT. Maxwell. the agent in charge of the mills, and it was on a Saturday afternoon you spoke there.
 As to the number of people you address, ed at Vernon I know nothing and have reported nothing, but I am informed by resident of Lamar county, and a man thoroughly familiar with the size of the courthouse at Vernon, that hall in which you spoke will accommodate 200 possibly 300 people. I am further advised that the court room at Jasper Is much larger than at Vernon, and know of my personal knowledged that not more than 300 people can be accommodated here. and then only with the use of one hundred and fifty chairs in vacant space set aside for the court, and in the aisles. which space was not made use of on the night of your ad- dress. l am informed that the young man "iiiSu aiVuhu ps you, us your private secretary, sends out his reports at your suggestion, and that you pay the tolls charged by the telegraph company, which is evidence that the reports are purely Nln your interest, the daily papers al- ways being glad to pay the telegraph charges on any facts of interest to their readers.
 All the desire I have yever had in the matter Is to furnish the facts without comment to the readers of the papers rep- resented by me, and have done this In every instance, and intend to continue to do so in the future without fear or favor. Yours truly,
 LOMAX M. SMITH.