The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-12
SPEAKS FOR PRIMARY
CAPTAIN ROBSON THINKS THIS IS
 IMPORTANT ISSUE.
Naval Hero in Montgomery, Says He is Undecided as to Gubernato- rial Contest, But VIII Be
 in Campaign.

came to Montgomery last night from Alexander City, felt so imbued with Democratic principles and what he be- | lieves to be current issues in Alabama politics that to a representative of The | Advertiser interviewing him there is | no doubt that the race for Governor ! next year will be one of the most in | teresting in the recent history of the | State.
 'T say with sincerity that do not | know at this time whether will be a | candidate for Governor next spring or | not" said Captain Hobson last night | in his room at the Glenmore Hotel. | You may be sure, however, that I will be in the field far and wide all during | the campaign"
 Captain Hobson would not say, eith- CT, which candidate he will support in | the eubernatorial race. He declared that he would align himself. not with men, but the true issues and this may | find him supporting in part two or more candidates. He agrees with many men, who ar eregarded as sages in Alabama politics, that the railroad question Is | bound to be an issue in the coming fight He furthermore says that from | the present outlook President B. B. | Conner, of the Alabama Railroad Com mission, is the logical" candidate to | educate the people on that issue. "Regardless of whether MT. Conner is l justifiabIe in his conduct altogether of | the past few days" said Captain Hob- | son, "there can be no doubt that the | people have been neglected heretofore | in their dealings with the railroads of | the State or the distributing system of | the economic whole."
 In this connection Captain Hobson makes the prediction that what he terms the ring" in political meshes of the State is going to get busy with | the Democrattic Executive Committee. He says that an effort, which will show great strength when the time comes, | will be made to deprive the people of the primaries that are theirs by right" To the question of primaries in the government of the State and | counties the naval hero and lecturer | says everything else Is subordinate.
 In fact, 1t is against the adventure of the ring to displace the primary for nominating the Governor In favor of a convention that Captain Hobson will direct his fight principally.
 'The primary is the safeguard of the peoples self f-government," he said last night T can see that there is a mem ace against it. But it must be pre- served at all hazards. I shall do my best to preserve it, and to this end ex- pect to take the stump throughout the State for the purpose of agitating the minds of the people on the value of thus practising self-government by the use of primaries.
 "we people of the South, 1t must be confessed, are behind our neighbors of the East and the Middle West on ths all-important question of political edu- cation. We have no beat organizations here to speak of. In those sections, have referred to, they have township organizations in which there is health full activity in every campaign; oui smallest unit Is the county and 1t car only be through the primary system that we may ever expect to get the peo- pie to practice the fundamental righl of self-government. Otherwise, the average voter will continue to grow lethargic and that Is the danger of thu body polite in the South today.N
 Questioned further on the railroad question, Captain Hobson expressed th' opinion that the people of Alabama have arrived at a time when, if allowed the use of the primary, they will in sist on restoring the railroads tt their proper share in the governmen of Alabama" He said he meant by this that the railroads, very naturally with their extensive qualifications o traffic, have "usurped" some of the func tions of the Government that belong to other systems in the economic make up of the State, such as the producing powers.
 "I believe. of course. that the railroad interests and all distributing interests ought to be heard just as other inter ests are," said he, but they must Dc curbed from exercising so much of the regulating system as they do TheS have a right to participate In the reg | tA fA nXfant Ihut care should be taken that they shal po no farther. This is an issue, ol course. throughout the United States
 Nor would Captain Hobson venture coniecture as to who will be the can didates for Governor next year. was significant, however. that in his in' terview he referred frequently to Lieu tenant Governro Cunningham ana non B. B. Conner
 Challenge of Bryan.
 cantain Hobson tells of his disap' nointment that w. J. Bryan should re- fuse his challenge for joint debates or the naval appropriation proposition oi the United States.
 "I think MT. Bryan should have con scented to, accept the challenge ne said. "anA I do not think 1t Vailo excuse for him to contend that the M naval supremacy of the United Statse is not a Democratic issue and should not he discussed by Democrats. II seems to me that 1t Is nothiYS bu' Democratic to discuss it. No other nartv has a monopoly on the subject There have been plenty of Democrats in the past who stood for naval appro' nriations sufficient to maintain Ameri- can supremacy on the water. Among these were Jefferson, Andrew Jackson flames Monroe and Grover Cleveland'
 ,rr sonous lecturer will go to Dtonroeville this morning to fill an en- cement to lecture there tonight in 5is regular lyceum itinerary. He will hn In Fillmore County Friday night to snaaE to a mass meeting of voters on tbs issue of a local tax of one-tenth