The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-03
Large Audience Cheers His Speech at
 Brewton.
REVIEWS HIS PUBLIC RECORD
Rididules MT. Comer's Charges as
 to Environments"
jlncerc in His Advocacy of Reform in Freight Rates, But Will Not Ap-
 proach the Subject As An
 Enemy to the Railroads.
By Bruce Kennedy.

Brewton, April 2.-,tstaff Correspon- dence.)-Friends of Lieutenant-Gover- nor Cunningham may well feel encour- aged over the re-opening of his cam paign for the nomination of Governor which took place in the commodious auditorium of the Brewton opera house tonight where he was greeted by large audience, an audience which re- ceiyed him with enthusiasm, frequently breaking into cheers. There were many ladies in the audience and number of voters from the remote pre- cincts of Escambia county.
 Dr. Cunningham himself used the word 're-opened" in referring to his campaign and he left no room to doubt that his campaign would be aggressive. T was a practicing physician" he said, until six o'clock yesterday even- ing, when I quit the practice for five months and perhaps five years" This intimation of the probability of his suc- cess delighted his hearers and they re- sponded with great applause.
 Met By Citizens.
 The Lieutenant Governor came to Brewton on an afternoon train. He was met by a delegation of prominent citizens and escorted to the new Brew cambia hotel where especial arrange ments had been made for his entertain ment. Later in the afternoon he was driven over the progressive little city. At the opera house tonight he was in- troduced by E. B. LoveIace, a leading citizen who said he was type of the seif-made manhood of Alabama.
 Governor Cunningham spoke two hours and not a single person left the building, while he was on his feet. Applause was frequent, and peculiarly tor nI eli ha speaker was in his accustomed good humor, and now and then entertained his audience with droll stories. The speech was pitched on a high plane of statesmauship and it's dominant note was candor and directness. \
 He alluded to MT. Conner only in afIsA swering his criticisms and in parlia- mentary and dignified way showed that he had been misrepresented by his ops ponent. Governor Cunningham declar% ed that the statement made by MT. Co., mer or any one else that he was the candidate of the railroads was abso- lutely false, saying that he was a poor man and would make his campaign on his own funds.
 Will Not Send Out Circulars.
 He told his hearers. that he would not send out circular letters and if they saw articles in his favor in news papers they could feel sure they came from editors who were his friends
 Referring to the importance of the office of Governor. Dr. Cunningham said, Tt belonged to the people and they had a right to ask what have you done" This gave him opportunity to lay his record alongside of Mir. Conner. showing as early as 1880, he was bat ting for railroad rate reform, as d young member of the Legislature. T have high ideals of government" he said, high ideals of law, high ideals of politics, and high ideals of political methods
 The first pubic question discussed by Lieutenant Governor Cunningham was immigration, which he said was an i'm portant issue. The thing for the South to do. he declared, is to bring in more white people. people of our own fel- lowship, blood, religion. language and custom and to eliminate the negro as citizen as speedily as possible.
 Railroad Rate Question.
 This brought him to the railroad rate question which he discussed for more than an hour, claiming that Mir. Conner had stolen his ideas on the sub iect. except that he did not approach the subject as an enemy of the rail- roads, but advocated a correction of the unfair methods of the railroads.
 He showed that he supported the act of 1903, empowering the railroad com mission to revise, fix and determine railroad rates in Alabama, which he said was plenary power to fix rates from one point in. Alabam to another. That is the law you have in Alabama now. said Dr. Cunningham, and if there is an unjust rate in Alabama it is due to the fact that the railroad commits sion has failed to find 1t out and rem edy the injustice.
 Replying to criticism by Mir Conner that Dr. Cunningham would not agree to embody the statutory law of Geor- gla regulating freight rates, the speak CT said this was purely legislative function and had no place in the or ganic law. He showed that in 1896 as a member of the Senate he supported the Barnes-Boykin bill making the railroad commission elective. but it was defeated in the House. In 1903 he ad- vocated and supported the present law increasing the power of the commits sion.
 Defeated the Amen dment.
 When an amendment was proposed extending the terms of the Associate Commissioners, there was a tie vote on tabling the amendment. and he cast the deciding vote defeating the amend ment. This statement was cheered The speaker alluded to his letter to the COmmlSSlOn WHtil dClIHB governor, in which he said that unless the Commits sion relieved the people from railroad rate oppression he would call a spe- cial session Of the Legislature to act direct on it. He said it was true this letter was written four hours before he went out of the Governors office, but it was the first opportunity he had after the Commission was reorganized with MT. Conner as it's President. His position on an elective Railroad Com mission, he said was so clear that the letter to him from Capt F. s. White of Birmingham asking his views on the subject, was absurd. He did not be- lieve in making d campaign of prom ises, but rather on record of achieve ments.
 pr. Cunningham ridiculed the 'en- vironments" charge of MT. Conner. show ing his own early environment as q plantation boy on North Alabama farm. He spoke of his professional en- vironment and social environment. His lights and shadows of wit and humor