The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-04
COMER'S TALLADECA SPEECH;
AFEW WORDS ON MISREPRESENTATION

For the first time In seven years Of
new spaper work feel called upon to.
say a personal word to the newspaper
reading public Of Alabama. For the
first time in my newspaper work !
have been charged with misrepresenta-
tion.
I'm going to tefute that charge IN
NV own way because ] feel that !
should dc so as a matter OF duty 70 iue
friends have made In 1ourneyihg
about the Stste, because l feel tnat !
should do 1t partly to repay the opn-
gations conferred upon me In unnum-
bered sorts of courtesy In various
towns. feel under a peculiar obli-
CATION to the editors Of the various
towns in which my correspondence
work has been done and ! feel called
upon to show to them that have not
prostituted the opportunities of my po-
sition, the editors Of Conner papers, as
we'll as Of Cunningham papers, for both
classes have In the rast year gone OUT
of their way to do me kindnesses.
1t IL for the sake of these friends
that I am moved to say persona.
word The charge of Misrepresentation
is the FIRST campaign yarn that the
heat of the campaign has warmed into
life. I hope to stamp the life out OF
IL De1Cfe IL CdH WTtEBAc any iuIthCt.
So much for the foreword. Now for
the business at hand.
The fntimation of Misrepresentation
carries with 1t the charge that ] was
made to shape and mold my report OF
Mr. Corners speech at Talladega to nj
the ideas of The Advertiser. This 10
four ded. had no instruction Of any
sort from The Advertiser but to go
to Talladega and report Mr.. Corners
speech. Nor was line changed from
the way the report was sent In. The
report as published exactly as 1t was
written. except that the headlines were
written in the ONCE as all headlines are
written
The charge or intimation of misrepre-
sentation embraces two specifications:
First--That / minimfzed the Tallade-
ga crowd and Its enthusiasm. and,
second--That said Mr.. Conner de-
cfared he must have a Secretary OF
stats, an Auditor, Treasurer and an
Attorney General elected to help him
carr, out his ideas
. Now, II I have nisrepresented a can
didate for Governor. 1t were grievous
fault And. IL I have been misrepre-
scented 1t were grievous fault for fell
low craftsmen to misrepresent news
paper writer.
What is rftten Is written. have
nothing to apologize for, nothing to re-
tract. nothing to explain. have only
groundless charge TO refutc. And.
mark you. I'll do 1t not by my own
word or pen, but by the pen OF the
staff correspondent of The Age-Herala,
whose tpcrt has been held out as
contradicting mine.
Now, as to the first charge about
Grove and enthusiasm.
The Advertiser report said "the court
room was we'll filled" The Age-Herald
q la $50
room" SO the check here Is all right.
On the subject OF enthusiasm The Ad-
vertiser said:
The real thing was not altogether
as exciting or as enthusiastic az Mr.
Corners friends would have liked
The announcement all but fell fat"
OF the same feature The Age-Herald
man says, When Mr.. Conner rose to
speak he was greeted with respectful,
though not ardent applause, indicating
that the audience was more Interested
than enthusiastic. More eager to lis
ten than to stamp"
But there is still another witness to
he called to the stand on this issue.
Mayor wellington vaudiver, of ITALIA
be n friend of Mr.. Corners candidacy.
Mayor vandiver was sought out by
The Age Herald man and interviewed.
OF the crowd and enthusiasm the May
or said:
"The audience who listened to Mr..
Conner were from all sections OF the
county, and the attention paid him
was notable for its gravity, the lack
of noise and the refraining from en-
thusiastic applause. 1t was deliber-
alive, thinking audience, reminding
one of jury rather than political
speech"
Here are three statements of facts,
- aRfs
And the difference between the state
ments of facts is the same difference
that exists between tweedledum and
tweedledee.
Now for the second ana last speci-
fication. What did Mr.. Conner say
about filling the other State Offices?
The Advertisers report had 1t, 1t
was not this announcement. which has
been assured for many weeks, that