The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-13
BURNETT AND
 LUSK ENGAGE
 IN WORDY WAR The Debate at Pe|I City Nayes Very Warm from
 the Start KEEN SARCASM ADDS ID INTEREST OF STRUGGLE Burnett Tries to Overwheim His Op- ponent by Flood of Rldicule,
 and a Fierce Battle of Wits Ensues.
BY PAUL COOK.

4 City, March -(Speclal)-Con- gressman John L. Burnett and the Hon. John A. Lusk, candidates for congress from the Seventh and already known to the voters of this district as the Two Johns," met in a joint debate here today that was characterized by good humor throughout, but was fierce from the start. A large crowd of voters assembled at the courthouse to hear the speakers and felt amply repaid. Sentiment appeared to be about evenly divided for the can didates. although the Lusk supporters made the most noise, and the crowd hailed a telling shot with much gusto While Burnett's friends say that he will carry this part of the county by good ma jority Lusk evidently made strong im- pression and was pleased at the reception accorded him in Burnett stronghold.
 Both candidates reached Pell City on an early morning train and after nasty breakfast began mixing with the voters who lad already arrived. MT. Burnett was very active in hailing friends and strangers alike, while MT. Lusk was quieter in his campaigning, but both of them had the ground well covered before the hnlr arrived for the debate to begin at t.se county courthouse.
 The speakers were introduced by George ". Pratt president of the Pell City Man ufacturng company. and popular can ddate for delegate at large to the nation al democratic convention. Neither can didate was greeted by any demonstration on beginning his speech but soon sue ceeded in getting the voters thoroughly warmed up. MT. Lusk opened with a speech of about 52 minutes, MT. Burnett followed with an address of one hours duration, and MT. Lusk closed with re- joinder lasting eight minutes.
 Confines Himself to Issues.
 Mir. Lusk confined himself to the issues already taken up in the opening debate. He dwelt at some length on MT. Bur nett's connection with Alabama railroads, and charged the congressman with be- ing a paid partisan of the trusts. He charged that Burnett was drawing sal ary as a congressman and conducting his law practice as a railroad attorney at the sametime, to the detriment of the dis trict's interests. The question of free passes was we'll threshed over by both sides and evoked much laughter. Mir. Lusk stated that the use made by MT. Burnett of his numerous passes was
 
 to the railway corporations that are rob bnig the shipper by making him pay in freight rates for all such fayors
 MT. Lusk dwet at length on the ques- tion of freight rates and the powers of the interstate and state railroad commis sions. He said 1t was his purpose if elected to introduce a bill in congress which would give the interstate com merce commission more power in dealing
 
 ment of rates could be secured and the shipper protected from that trust greed which Is eating up his earnings every year. He charged Burnett with failure to remedy the freight abuses, both when a state senator and while congressman. Continuing, Mir Lusk attacked the record of his opponent as a state senator and also declared that he had worked with the railroads since going to congress in re- gard to improvements on the Coosa river.
 Burnett Defends Record.
 Mir. Burnett devoted his time to defend- ing his record in congress by pointing out what he had done for his constituents during his six years in office. MT. Bur nett was extremely sarcastic at times and was greeted by much laughter. He continually referred to MT. Lusk as Johnny" and ridicued his opponents s argument in regard to railroad passes. Once or twice the talk verged on person alities but the utmost good humor pre- vailed. Burnett called Lusk Johnny" and Lusk called him John"
 Mir Burnett said triumphantly that he had been In congress six years. had been returned three times by his constituents and believed he would be sent back again. Reaching a climax he shouted that Lusk would never be elected and all he would get out of the campaign would be the good 1t would do him. Dur ing his allotted time the congressman spoke vehemently and rapidly, seeking to crush his opponent by a stream of irony that was appreciated by his lis- feners. Nearly his entire speech was taken up in defending his record in con- gress and in replying to the attacks made on him concerning the railroads by simi- lar thrusts directed against MT Lusk for his record in the legislature He took es- pecial pains to point out that MT. Lusk had spent only sixty days in the state legislature while he had been six years in Washington. The letter to Maj. A. S. Andrews, first vice president of the Southern railway, was introduced and for A time the debate promised to become sensational when Mir. Burnett charged his former secretary with stealing his papers and turning them over to his opponent and asked If the man who would accept the papers was any better than the man who took them.
 In beginning the debate Mir. Lusk stated that all he wanted was fair and square measurement by the democratic voters of his district He said: Judge between us and elect the man who represents your ideas of a legislator. Burnett says I am after his job, but 1t is not his job: it \ is your job to confer on whom you wish. And I ask you to send the man to con- eress who measures up to your standard Mir. Lusk then entered into discussion ~f ~-Aeht rates ip Alabama, and partic-