The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-15
FIRST SPEECH OF CAMP AIGN Captain Forbes Visits West
 End.
 e-- GREETED BY BIG CROWD
 y~. Candidate for Mayer Repeat edly Applauded. He showed How FavOrltlsm Played its Part in City Government aud Defined His Political
 Principles.
 

l The first public speech of the cam paign for the mayorAlty of Mvntgom- | cry was delivered last night Ut the | west knd school building by Captain l A. q. Forbes, candidate tor the execu- | tive chair of the city.
 ! Nearly 1o0 West Binders and citi- zens of Ward One braved the icy weather to hear the speech. The CO., l casion Gorcibly reminded one Of the | oiden campaign days, when campaigns | were pulled orf with the assistance of brass bands and torch lights. 1 The Forces Campaign Club secured the services of the Montgomery City | Sand and the crowd gathered in the | newly erected school building to the ] tune of lively marches.
 1 About four or i've members of the | Forbes Club were present, but the rest | of the assembly was composed mainly | of the people Of West End who evlnced l much interest and enthusiasm through out the meeting.
 | The meeting was held in an upstairs room of the school building. There were several ladies and a few children in the audience, but the meeting was essen | tially a meeting of voters. l Captain Forbes spoke on anti-ad- | ministration and anti-machine lines. | As the text for his remarks he used | che platform announced by him on en- tering the contest and enlarged there on explaining the full meaning of every | sentence.
 l He openly declared that he cared nought for personality and did not ex- peot his personality to bring him votes. He asked the voters, however, to care- fully consider the principles on which he was running and if they believed they were principles of good govern ment he wanted their support. If | they did not he did not care for the | office.
 The audience listened attentively to every word and frequently gave vent to continued applause.
 Mir. AlldRy Presided. B. F. Allday. a prominent citizen of West End, presided at the meeting. In prefacing his introduction of the speakers. he said that like most citi- zens of West End, he had not made up his mind as to whom he would sup port in the coming primaries. He l wanted to support the best man for the place and asked the attention of the audience to what Captain Forbes had to say,
 He introduced o. F. Warner. who spoke briefly in support of Captain Forbes's candidacy. He asked the
 
 Captain Forbes had to say. Captain Forbes was introduced to the audience by Mir Warner as the next Mayor of Montgomery" The candidate was the recipient of generous applause when he went for | ward.
 Captain Forbes said that he was making his first campaign speech and was making his first campaign speech | fN.al A~sa g.NA | Ward One is the first on the list of wards and Ward One, he declared. Is the most neglected ward in the city of Montgomery.
 That's the truth" shouted J. C. l Conner, the veteran locomotive en- | gineer and the speech was interrupted | by prolonged applause. Captain Forbes said that he was asking the people of Montgomery to support him because, If elected. he would bring about certain changes and reforms which would be changes for the good of the city.
 | Is Not a Politician.
 T am not a politician and have no | politicians on my side" he declared. | The politicians, who have been run ming Montgomery for so long a time, don't care to make any changes and that's the reason they're against me. l am the candidate of no machine None of the composite parts of tho city ma chine is back of me, for I have yet to know of a single city officehOlder who Is supporting my cause"
 Captain Forbes said that he had spent nearly two years in the City Council Of Montgomery and had been approached by numerous individuals and interests asking for favUrs
 If those favors. worked against the good of the entire people, said Cap tain Forbes, " never consented to assist the individual or interest. nave yet 10 give d special privilege"
 He explained that for years and years the city of Montgomery had been con ducted by ring of politicians and ofhceholders. Good men have been elected to office. but they have always had their hands tied, he said
 "Gentlemen, l promise you that if am elected to ofice. my hands will be free and l can and I will break up machine politics in the city of Mont gomery" declared Captain Forbes
 He protested against proceeding along in the same old groove allowing other towns to draw the attention of business men and manufacturing in- terests that rlghtfully belonged to Montgomery.
 T have been a resident of Montgom- cry for twenty years and I know Montgomery" said the speaker, "I know Montgomery is a city but I tell you the outside world thinks Montgom- cry Is a country town"
 Advised to Keep Quiet.
 He said that when he decided to run for mayor. friends adviesd him not to publish what he stood for. They claim ed that 1t would cost him votes. He admitted that 1t had cost him votes, but on the other hand it had gained him a far greater number of votes. He denied the current report that he would make a clean sweep of all city off ceholders and declared that there are some Oficeholders who are not com l petent and are not meritoriOus and these he would put out of office. 1 But the men who give the city of | Montgomery 100 cents on the dollar, I will retain. unless they take partisan part In city politics" said Captain Forbes.
 He then related an instance of hear ing a city employe ask man to vote for an opponent because Forbes will put me out of office" He asked the man, why he thought that he would be put out of office.
 well" the man replied, T just thought you would"
 That man" declared the speaker had read my platform and had read that I would not retain incompetent office holders and he recognized that the cap fit him"
 The Police Department.
 Captain Forbes then paid his respects | tn %6a ,nIsea danarfmepf TTa Ar~s