The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-02
TIE SOBER SECOND THOUGHT
 AND ITS EFFECT ON SENTIMENT
Speech of Hon. Henry Opp of Anda- lusia Draws Attention to Forces That Have
 Been at Work for Dr. Cunningham.
sy win T. sheehan.

The sober second thought or the people of Alabama" was given creolt at the Cunningham meeting for the re- markable strength developed in re- cent weeks by the candidacy of Lieu tenant Governor R. M Cunningham. The thought was presented to great crowd of Covington County voters ny Hon. Henry Opp, Mayor of Andalusia' in his speech Introducing Dr. Cunning ham. on the occasion of his most im- portant address in Covington.
 tt has pleased the people of Anda- lusia and Covington County to honor Nr. Opp whenever the opportunity on- cred itself Mir Opp for many years has been Mayor of Andalusia and the wonderful development of the town has made Itself felt in those years. The people of his county sent him to the Constitutional Convention, where in an assembly of the ablest men of the State he held high rank. The leading attorney of the county and enjoying the esteem of his people In a rare degree, Mir. Opp is an ardent supporter of Dt. Cunningham.
 There has in this campaign been al lot of wild eyed. fahatical declama- tions about the minions of the rail- road oligarchy" 'robbing the people enslaving the people" and ''pliant tools of the robber railroads" From the frenzied utterances that have riv- en the unresiting atmosphere the only conclusion to be had is only Conner men are noble and the way to be saved Is to vote the Conner ticket. That sort of talk has ceased to be effective in Andatusia. Mir. Opp was member ot the Constitutional Convention and is proud of 1t, notwithstanding Mir. Cofn- CTS abuse of that body and Mir. Opp Is supporter of pr. Cunningham and not ashamed of 1t, notwithstanding the doriineering tendency of the style of politics in Alabam to damn with bell, book and candle every man that don't believe that the future hope of the State is in the election of Mir. Conner.
 Not Railroad Tool.
 It would be hard matter to per- nuade the people of Andalusia that Mi Opp whom they have known all his life and upon whom they have con- ferred their honors is a stalking horse to lead them under the yoke of slav- cry to the railroads. It would be dif- ficuit to persuade these people that Mir. Opp is any less patriotic than MT. Conner, that the welfare of the State is any less dear to him than 1t is to MT. Conner. The Conner campaign will have to take another one of its many different tacks here in Covington.
 Mir. Opp gave Dr. Cunningham an excellent introduction to the big audi ence that filled the nourt room.
  Mir. Opp, some reasons for apprehen- sion, that the people would be swept off their feet by fanatical charges and hysterical declamations. There was reason for the apprehension that violent one idea man would be named as Governor of ma, but we can all rejoice today that the people in their sober second thought have re- vo1ted from the election of man who would array class against class and who would stir up strife and preju- dice among the people.
 We can rejoice today that the peo- pie in their second thought have come to make the proper choice between the two men who are offering for that aAoffice. We can feel assured that on the 2fth of August, when the voters of Alabama drop their ballots in the urn of suffrage that clean and splendid gentleman, that able leader will be elected to that office which he has al- ready filled so ably. I refer to the Honorable Russell M. Cunningham"
 The audience responded heartily to the sentiments of MT. Opp's introduce tory remarks. His words that told of the havoc being played in MT. Com er's campaign by the sober second thought of the people were applauded no less heartily than his tributes to the high character and ability of Dr. Cunningham.
 The Moving Reasons.
 Tn searching for some of the req sons which are behind the change in political sentiment, for some reason to explain the marked growth of Dr. Cunningham's popularity they have been discovered in a marked de- gree in the support of first the doc tors of Alabama. second, the ministers of Alabama, third, the travelling men of Alabama and fourth. many of the Ana nF State.
 Not that the Alabama Masons as Masons have gone out to take a part in this political fight, for such thing is opposed by the principles and teach ings of the order. Nor are they &C., ting in any organized or concerted way. But many of them, strong and influential men in their communities, have come to take a much more ac- tive interest in the campaign than they had intended. Events have forced it upon them.
 Dr. Cunningham has been made tho subject of intolerant and bitter at tacks. The least of the charegs made against him, Is that he a band wagon climber. He has been charged with being a stalking horse of the railroads of leading a cause whose success would be the robbery" and the "eh- slavenent" of the people He has
  representation and with every other sin in the political decalogue.
 The Masons of Alabama have seen fit to honor Dr. Cunningham repeated ly. There Is perhaps no Mason living in Alabama who has received so many honors at the hands of his fellow Ma sons. There is In the State no more distinguished Mason. In a way the charges that have been so hysterically made against pr. Cunningham are re- f1ections upon that great order which has so often honored him.
 The Masons know that those charges are not true. They know that pr Cunningham is incapable of "robbing' the people or of "enslaving" them. AnC they know that he is no tool" of thu railroad oligarchy.
 They know that he Is not given tt misrepresentation and that his char acter is above deception. In the pres ant campaign marked by much un just and bitter attacks each Mason i exercising his vested right of making a choice of the two men so widel!
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