The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-08
R. NJ CUNNINGHAM
MEETS MR. Conner
They Have a Joint Debate at
GadSden
CROWD is EVEN TOSS UP
Large Crowd Attends Speaking and
Both Men Are Given an Impartial
Hearlno-Gadsden Man
Disappears.

and DR.. r. NJ. Cunningham met in joint
debate here this morning and addressed
representative gathering of citizens in
the court house. 1t was not positively
known that there would be a joint debate
until Snort time before the opening,
otherwise 1t is doubted If the court room
would have held the audience. The meet
ing was called for II o clock and prompt
ly at that hour the candidates appeared
and the court room was already comfort
ably filed. Stonewall Kyle acted as chair
man of the meeting and INTRODUCED both
candidates. and announced the agreement
as to time. which was that Conner should
openiand be allowed one hour and fifteen
minutes, and Cunningham onea hour and
thirty minutes and Conner twenty minutes
for his rejoinder.
MIR. Conner commenced his address in
a few remarks In reference to his visit
to this city few years ago when he
came as a delegate TO the Commercial and
Industrial association and later In joint
debate with John V. Smith In his canvas
for railroad commissioner. He said; Il
favor education to the fullest extent. and
favor carrying schools to the baekwoods.
favor the old soldier and believe he
should be well taken care of by the state
: II necessary by the state. / favor imml-
grafton but not cheap labor, because il
You want high prices and property, you
must have high-prced labor. Stop emmi-
grafton and you need no immigration. [
favor local option and believe that each
ntxr oh. a.;
issue as 1t sees proper
Mr.. Conner then devoted himself TO his
opponent, who was sitting near ON the
platform. His thrusts at DR.. Cunning
ham were direct and pointed, and at
times assumed the dramatic, and was
frequently applauded. Most of his re-
marks addressed TO his opponent were
those directed at him in the Opeika de-
bate and did not seem to ruftIe or dis
turb him to any great extent. but were
received generally with n genial smile.
MIR. Conner then devoted the remainder
OF his time to a presentation of rate
regulation. which was along the line he
has heretofore advocated. and closed his
speech with another attack upon, DR.. Gun
ningham for claiming that he had been
responsible for the plan now in vogue
whereby the state received S35 for convlcts
instead of $40, and was greeted with loud
applause.
Cunningham Speaks.
81 DR.. Cunningham, when introduced, said
: that he would appeal to nothing but the
truth and he proposed to discus the issues
as he understood them. That he would
not undertake any flights of oratory or
tell any jokes. He said "The man who
aspires to be governor of this great state
must to a great extent be a leader and
IT should be the aim of ssch man to
lead the people in the right way as far
as possible" He then went into leng-
thy discussion as to his record in the leg
islature. as governor and lieutenant gov
ernor. He was given close attention and
was often applauded. He made great
hit with the audience when he said that
he had leEislated himself out of his job
with the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail-
way company, when the convict system
In force at that time was abolished
His discussion of the railroad rate qtIes-
tion was clear and logical and differed
but little with his former statements on
this question. He said: "The only time
/ ever voted for class legislation was
when / voted to exempt cotton mills in
1896 from taxation for ten years, and |
did that because | thought it raised the
price of cotton on the home market" He
asked r. A. Mitchell, manager of the
present, if this was true. Mr. Mitchell
replied that his company paid an advance
of 81 per -bale over the market price.
Dr. Cunningham closed his address with
an appeal to the voters to stand by him.
and told of his early struggles on the
farm at his home in Lawrence county.
Mr.. Conner devoted the twenty minutes
allowed him to a direct charge at his
opponent. and accused him of advising
a Ii,ta ,x,ttl
the cotton mills. and told him that he
knew nothing about railroad rate regula-
ton, and denounced him severely for not
assisting in the selection of a legislature
to carry out the reforms advocated. At
the conclusion. DR.. Cunningham stepped
up to Mr.. Conner and. graspng his hand,
gave him a hearty handshake and slapped
him on the back in a most brotherly and
friendly fashion.
1t was a toss up to whose crowd it
was Both candidates were greeted with
hearty applause practically from the same
crowd, and each speaker was shown due
courtesy and attention. The friends of
Dr. Cunningham claim that he has made
votes, and those of Mr.. Conner say that
ne has lost nothing.
Mr. Conner departed on the louisville
and Nashville train for Birmingham and
will speak at Cuba tomorrow. Dr. Cum
ningham remained until a later train and
spent the evening in looking over the
city.
Nelson Leaves Home.
J. w. Nelson, a well known carpenter
OF this city. left his home on Chestnut
street In tnio ,ity last Wednesday night
and has not been seen since. His family
and friends have become very much
alarmed over his continued absence and
fear he has met with foul play or is tenn
porarily deianged. Wednesday afternoon
n young daughter of Mr.. Nelson married
and he was not informed of the marriage
until he came home to his supper and be-
ing told of the occurrence he Immediately
arose and left the table and, getting his
hat. left the house, and this was the
last seen of him. His family thought
nothing of this at the time, other than
ne was worried and would return. He is
about "a years Old and is well known
throughout this section.
Saturday night as the Nashville, Chat
tanooga and st. Louis passenger train
was near Sligo, station between Alfalfa,
some one threw several rocks at the
train, which came very near striking sew
eral passengers. The train was stopped
and search was made. but no trace OF
the parties could be found. just what
their object was is not known, but they
were thought to be some drunken rowdes.
Small Fires.
At S. o'clock yesterday morning a small
hre occurred in a house on Eigth avenue
between Tenth and Eleventh streets. The