The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-29
ny w,Il&. sheehan.

ldeutenanf @oyefnof. ana canniudte ioi. Governor. today came among his own people. They gave him a warm greet ing and good cheer
 It was barpecue today at Russell vile. and a great throng gathered candidate who had the privilege Of ad- dressing the people declared he spoke to acres of people," There Is no doubt that fhe Immense gathering had a to- tai oi between 5000 and 1000 people. The word had been passed around. hard bills had been sent out and the country papers had published advance notice or lthe occasion
 And with the coming up of the sun people began to flock into Rnsseilville. In wagons. single and double. in pug- xfes fin surreys, on horse back and on mule back they rode to the hill with i its splendid shade on the outskirts of lRusselivilie Some came from as far 1 as the Mississippi line. twenty five miles to the westAll in all, there was not beat in the county that was not represented | The train which came down from Tus- cumbia was packed platform and bag I.gage car and the hills that surrounded | the barbecue grounds were filtered Iwith buggies.
 The day was set aside for the sol dier of the Copfederacy. Camp John 1 W Harris of United. Confederate vel erans was participating in the pleas ures of it's. annual reunion. To helr l the old soldiers enjoy the day the pee pie of Franklin county had been in- vited and right heartily they acceptea | the invitation.
 | pfstinguished Alabamians, most Of whom are now candidates, came to de- l liver addresses. And the invitations that that went out to the candidates bore the note that the day was non political and the hope that whatever speeches would be delivered would not be political speeches.
 The candidates who came kept faith with the committee. They spoke oi 1 the nisfortunes fate had forced the South to undergo. of the illegal inva- sion of the rights before the war, or her sufferings. in the war and Of the unmatched valor of those who went forth to fight her battles. They spoke | too of that crowning wrong that was put upon her when her servants a race | that was but slaves yesterday was l'nade the ruler of white civilization They feIicitatad their bearers alike upon the gallantry of the Confederate soldiers upon a thousand bloody fields and upon his indomitable courage m I overthrowing the venal and vicicus woyernment of the negro, though upheld | l No politics were talked from. the platform. In mixing and mingling with | inc people the candidates had their chance, but the platform was kept sin- tyioIate Although Mn. Conner did not accept the invitation or the comhnittee
 he did not so unrepresented- The sup plernont of The Birmingham News, con I taininr his edited and declared speech delIvered at Tuscaloosa was largely in l evidence. While the speakers were landing the Confederate soldiers a ne- I gro was passing around with an arm ful of these papers industriousiy dis Itributing them among the assembled thousands. But the crowd had no time l nor inclination for reading It was g beautiful place for par.
 soidiers DeSne'n and theft friends assembled I lis cone shaped top was crested with a splendid grove of oaks and walnuts And on every slope of the hill the I trees clustered until the shade of the hillside was like the shade of an ar bor.
 platform had been erected and about | the platform the assembled thousands i gathered. The local band, hard by on another platform, between speeches | hrolxe into Dixie" "The Bonnie Blue l Flag." or the southern Favorits 1 March" It was a great day no less so fol | the people than for the candidates Fol the people had spread before them 1 rare oratorical bill of fare As keer as is the wist of the moral audienct for good speaking at their barbecue al part of the days pleasure, the list ol speakers at today,s festivities left notn ling to be desired. Those who spoke today were Lieutenant Governor Gun lnineham, candidate for Governor; Hon John B. Knox and Congressman John II Bankhead, candidates for the senate Il rial succession; Hon. Emmett ,ONeai candidate for Lieutenant Governor Congressman John L. Burnett, Major John c. Harris, candidate for Asso' ciate Railroad sCommissioner and pr h A, B. Lovett, candidate for -Gsumis' sioner of Agriculture.
 Travis Miller a we'll known lawyer of Russellville, presided af the bie meeting and presented the speaKer' tactfuliy and impressively. a
 The attendance of old soldiers wal unusually large. Not only were praG, ticaily all the Confederate soldiers ol Franklin county present. but many came from Tuscumbia, Florence anc | sheffield As Congressman Bankheaf l walked on the grounds small mar with gray, close cropped mustache ana white hair left the ranks and hurried < towards him. As he got to Captair fBankhead the two threw their arnni II about each other and were locked 1T close embrace. They drew apart 1T Itime, and tears were coming down thu
 check of each. The crowd was forgot ten for the moment, nor did the actor' in the pathetic scene mind that thu
 onlookers saw the salt tears on thei
 cheeks.
 As they wiped them away, handker
 chief in hand, one would ask the other
 "And how have you been?' Have yot
 done .well?' You look well, but older
 Yes you look older than when saw you last"
 As the old soldier took his plac 1 among his comrades friend asked him
 "Who was that Captain%
 "phat was Drury Bowen, color ser | geant of the 18th Alabama, was tn
 reply, He was the most fearless maj
 I ever knew The company com
 nanded. was in the 18th Alabama. |
 the battle of Chickamauga I saw Drur,
 Bowen, with a bullet through one arr
 holding aloft the eolors of the regimen
 with the other hand The stan Of tn
 colors had been shot away and his han
 was clasped around the remnants righ
 under the flag"
 Dr. Cunningham came into Frankli
 county buoyant and Jubilant. Ills con
 fdence increases with each day. Hi
 satisfaction with the present status c
 the campaign is so great that he snow
 1t in his appearance. Instead of al
 minishing, the good news that has bee
 coming to him in these recent week
 Is increasing.
 The news has been of such natur
 that he could not feel otherwise tha
 gratified and satisfied More ana nor