The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-08
JOINT DEBATE
 AT GADSDEN Conner and Cunningham
 Meet. CROWD WAS WILD FOR DOCTOR Enthusiasm of 0pelika Meeting
 Not Repeated. Discussion Was Parliamentary And Speakers Were Interrupted But seldom--series of Speaking
 win Be Arranged.
Ry WiII T. sheehan

lspondence. )-The campaign for Cover. nor of Alabama between Lieutenant Governor R. M Cunningham and Pres ident B, B. Conner will not descend to the personal and vituoeratlve fight now waged in Georgia
 The fourth joint discussion between the two candidates was held here to- day and 1t more nearly reached the high plane upon which Dr. Cunning ham has pitched and maintained hts campaign than did any previous joint deate. Mir. Conner, aggressive always was neither so frenzied or so fierce as he was at Opelika. There was distinct change in his oratorial attitude. He showed more of smildness and less vindictiveness than he has yet shown in any previous de- bate.
 Dr. Cunningham spoke upon the high plane he has occupied since the cam paign opened. Showing a deep respect for the high ofice, high appreciation of his own self respect. and a disregard and distaste for any personalities. He showed, too. In today's joint discussion taht he would not sit by and hear him self made the subject of misrepresen- tation He showed today where the dead line Of misrepresentation lies.
 The incident occurred during Mir. Corners attack on Dr. Cunningham's long public record on the rate question. This record of pr. Cunningham's ap- peared to worry Mir. Conner and he set himself to the long task of breaking 1t down.
 T understand, and have been toId,' said MT. Conner, that the record will show that Dr. Cunningham did not even vote for the bill in 1881 which gave y.,a Hu tnry IA ha DaI mission
 ssThat Is False"
 That Is false. whoever says It," said pr. Cunningham breaking in, earnestly and determinedly. Tn his speech Dr. Cunningham spirit edly resented the charge that he was insincere on the rate question. When Cunningham Did it begin with that vote in 1881 or that vote in 1898, or the vote in 1901? What ask you did that insincerity begin? f'
 Mir. Conner today quoted remarks which he declared Dr. Cunningham had made in a Democratic conversation in 1900, criticising the Johnston admins tration. He declared that 1t was a more severe criticism than he had ever made upon any Democratic admin istration. Mir. Conner declared that Dr. Cunningham had spoken In favor Of giving the white mans tax to the white mans children and the negros ta xto the negro's children Dr. Cum ningham denied that he had made the statement sayin gthat while personally he might favor 1t this could not be done under the Constitution.
 In his address pr. Cunningham aroused some enthusiasm by saying:
 "Mr. Conner says that If I am for rate reform I have made no tracks and there is one of my tracks (point- ing to MT. Comer). If 1t had not been for my vote in the Senate he would not be here"
 Today's joint discussion Is the first of a series of five. The places at which two will be held will be selected by MT Conner and two will be selected by pr. Cunningham. These places are vet to be selected. There will proba- bly be an interval of three weeks be- tween the joint discussions, thus scat tring them throughout the campaign.
 A crowd of about $50 people heard the debate. It was not an enthusiastic gathering for a joint discussion, and there were no interruption. Pat Mc- graphic report of the discussion for MT. Conner, while 1t was recorded for The Advertiser by F. D. Beckham
 NIT. Kyle Presides.
 T. s. Kyle, q prominent young man of Gadsden, presided and kept the time for the speakers. He introduced the speakers without eulogy and he was called upon to suppress no disorder. In begeinnins. MT. Conner said:
 This is the third time I have ap- peared before an Etowah audience. My first speech before an Etowah county audience was delivered on wonder at the Belleview Inn. when the State Com mercial and Industrial Association met. It was the first time this fight had been brought before the people. l. came about In this way. Mir. Lane, the president of the association read a pa per on Good Roads, showing the ad- vantages of good roads In securing cheaper transportation. got into the discussion because cheaper transporta- ton brought up the railroad question. I argued the great advantages that would come to tho State by reduct- ion of freight.
 And I tried right there to get that association to start a petition asking the Legislature to make the railroad commission elective. But through the influence of George W. Jones that res olution was voted down. And then we carried the fight before the people. was here two years ago with John V smith for a joint discussion of rail- road rates and car service rules"
 This part of Mir. Comer's talk was out of the line of his regular speech and he was a bit awkward about it. He dropped fin the style he has no doubt been accustomed to use in dic- tatine to his stenographer.
 "Tn that election Etowah county gave me a very satisfactory majority and thank you for the same. The efbt we are engaged in now is quite as imnortant and I hope that this time vop will do as well as you did the last time"
 o,,ar the other state questions affecting tho future welfare of the state to ret tn his railroad rate argument He stood sV he said. for wide common school eSwcation, numerous rural schools, the eare of confederate soldiers in which kiahama has not done so we'll as her naJghhoring states, and he favored im- nniSration but no pauper labor.
 On Familiar Ground.
 Nytth this over, MT Corners feet were Al, familiar ground and he entered upon SIs old time anti-railroad argument Rut first of all, in describing the fight