The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-11
.BANKHEAD'S SPEECH
LNTEREsTED AUDIENCE HEARD
 HIM AT COURTHOUSE.
Veteran Congressman Reviewed His Public Record and Pledged Him- self To Improving TranspOrta-
 tiOn Facilities in AIabamn.

Pledgfng himself to labor unceasing- ly for the prosperity of Alabama, and
 more especially, to direct his energies
 the improvement of the waterways and
 highways of Alabama, Col. John H. Isankhead spoke to an audience of about 100 people, among whom were several ladies. at the court house last night in the interest of his candidacy for alternate United States Senator. Colonel Benkhead spoke a little more self mostly to a discussion of the prac- tical side of questions he regards as
 the most important of the day. only
 now and then did he refer to his can
 didacy He choose rather to enlight- en his hearers upon subjects. the knowledge and manaEement of which
 he has gained through twenty years experience in Congress. Ills hearers
 speech was interrupted with occasional
 The meeting was opened by Judge
 J, M carmichaei, state A Auditor; asnS SorS wnS as chairman of the meeting.
 In d brief address General Sanford referred to his friendship for CoIones
 Bankhead, his history as Conieoerate soldier and his history after the war:
 He had known him forty years. had watched him and he had show every quality than can adorn real genulhs
 manhood. ,a c.  eraI Sanford, T hardly know what to call 1t. They call in an alternate Sen ator. I shall support him for the place to which he aspires.
 Colonel Bankhead' tp.nS in 1ne tSe ehair"
 man. from the bottom of his heart, Tor his kind words. He was deeply grats- fuI 10 the ladies for their presence.
 make He would say that he Is at all times Democrat, but polltica! quess tions were not always as important as
 cue stions involving the development or
 resources. He intended many myrt, .o t,oo Iis of 'our' products and their distripu- tion, These questions he regardea as more important than production l.ssii. lSna. He divided his subject into thI1se
 heads first. transportationb by rall;
 second, transportation by water at1 third transportation over conlIhots ] :
 hi"hways on dirt roads, g., 6onrress He sp9s and alluded to the recent passage or tne railroad rate bill. bearing on inter
 state commerce. a rnor,s- tions. he declared. was burning is-
 sue In Alabama's legislature and a majority of the comissioners are 10 to
 be chosen and that 9IesIbofh 9wbinb he aspired couId have nothin~ to do with local
 railroad legislation and, as Inr ss g congress was concerned, the FalH oaus s, were now IGS ui0hNN NN '
 Tn Congress. Colonel Bankhead said
 he had always voted for proper reg, uiation, but he wished 1t understooo that he was not an enemy or the railroads. He was their friend pro vided they did what was right. but they should be governed by law Just as the Individual is governed.
 Alabama is greatly blesssed with rivers. said Colonel Bankhead, there
 being 2.00O miles of them threading the state. Experience. he declared teaches that the only safe way to re~-
 ulate railroad rates is by water com petition. M He spoke of Montgomery and its | advantageous situation on the Ala bana river. but asked what proht the
 stream could be to Montgomery IT IL
 canot be naviEated The river he re- garded as important to Montgomery as are the railroads themselves. not as a carrier of tho freight but as reg ulator of freight rates.
 He pledged himself to a bill making the largest appropriation for rivers and
 harbors Improvements, since the live
 ouestion has been before that body. | The bill would embod'' an appropriation Of SB0n.000 necessary to nut the Ala bama river in proper condition.
 | ETe discused the possibilities of Ala | bama minerals. growing out of the
 conapletion Of the Panama Canal but for ] ciblv cited competition that Alabama
 would hAva tn meet and tho neceSsity,