The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-06
CUNNINGHAM SEEMS IN LEAD
 IN RACE IN PULLMAN COUNTY

ULLNlAlV OUON l II of cullman, fourteen long North Ala bania miles. There Is at the Chapel
 only small village. two or three stores. a church. school house and three or four prosperous looking coun- | try homes.
 There is no evidence of decay that Is too often seen in the smaller villages i and communities of the Black Belt and | white peorle for the fuller charms of the cities.
 Not in Gsrmsn District. It is outside of and beyond the ra- dius of the German influence In Crll- man county. The Germans are In aid around cuilman. Jones Chapel lies close to the winston county line, and today in the big crowd that assembled under the oaks were hundreds of peo- pie from over in Winston. Some drove I through the sun of the summer morn | ing from as far as Double Springs
 These were from the west. Bu. from | the south from the north, from the east. from all points of the comprss | the farmers their wives and their lchildren drove to the oak grove and pnhitcheG their teams.
 Union of soldiers. | The primary cause of the occasion was the annual reunion of Camp Watts. | United Confederate Veterans. The camp has big roll. but the Confecer- ate veterans, as numerous as they were, I formed a small per cent of the great gathering of people.
 sheriff Alb O'Rear was in charge of the barbecue feature which was guar antee of its success. He had 1t mo rated all around the country by cards and by words of mouth. From the re-
 suits shown iu the assembled crowd | his messengers must have carried the word far and near
 | The candidates and some of their | 6uilman County friends drove out in ! two surreys The party included Lieu | tenant Governor Cunningham. Hon. John B. Knox, General ". W. Brandon.
 Hon. George H. Parker. nominee for l the legislature, ex-Representative Jack 1 Griffin. Editor J. R. Rasson. VIII Grif-.s | fin and the staff correspondent of The Advertiser.
 l The great throng had assembled when | the party arrived, and the exercises had begun. Commissioner Charles Owen I had called the meeting to order and ! the detail business of Camp Watts had been completed. Professor Little. who teaches the school at Jones' Chapel was l finishing a stirring address on the | heroism of the Confederate soldier. The Logan cornet Band. in striking wine colored uniforms was grouped were hung the stars and bars of the | then place was made fin the program | for the comets. the bass drum and the trombones. The band had very busy day. In the trees above the platform upon the platform and every now and Confederacy
 Parker Introduced Speakers. George H. Parker. general favorite, Al tN f1f g- CTS. He presented Dr. Cunningham as the next Governor of Alabama" and applause arose from the crowd at the statement
 The great audience was attentive to every word. Throughout all the speak ing. the conduct of the audience was characterized by close and absorbed att tention. So large a gathering giving so close attention was an inspiration to the speakers and it Is within the
 bounds of truth to say that no Fourth of July celebration in Alabama and few | in any part of the country were enter tained by such splendid open air ora
 Cunnfngham Was Emective. | Dr. Cunningham made his charac- teristic. manly and straightforward
 presentation of his candidacy. His sim | to the hearts of hts hearers. If he had the opportunity of meeting every voter
  | rument there could be no doubt of his Overwhelming victory As It Is, hr makes his argument when the opportu- nity presents itself and when ne does Corners strength dwindles to weak ness
 There are honest men in this audi ence," said Dr Cunningham. who be- llieve that I am a tool of the railroads. There are honest men in this audience who believe that I am running for | A4 ha 1-
 roads But tell you, my friends. that this is not true. You have been told that but not one iota of evidence has been edduced to prove that charge It is recklessly made by Mir Conner and his friends and they have been chal- tlenged to prove that charge against my political character and they have brought forward nothing to prove 1t. | Against this false charge bring up my Hong career Tn public life in Alabama, flor my record Is written in the book. II not only now stand for a mandatory and not an advisory Commission, but IT havealways stood for 1t and have
 stood and voted for an elective Rail- road Commission"
 | The address made deep impression upon his thoughtful and attentive au- dience.
 saying it." said T. J. Culpepper, a prominent Cullman county farmer,
 who drove through the county from lCrane Hlll. T had been Conner man all the time and came here a Conner man, but I'm for Cunningham now first, last and all the time. I believed
 that Dr. Cunningham was against the IpeopIe and for the railroads. But af-
 ter hearing him today I know that I was wrong. I had been misinformed, too, because believed that If MT.
 Conner was elected Governor he would
 have the power of taking right hold
 and regulating rates and all freight matter. But after Dr. Cunningham
 had clearly explained the duties of the Governor under the new constitu- Ition. I know now that the Governor
 can recommend to the Legislature
 what laws to enact, but he cant go out and make those laws himself and
 he can't enforce laws that are not on
 the statute books.
 Beat Split Up.
 My home, Crane Hill. Is pretty bad ly split up, but although I was a
 Conner man until today I believed that
 probably Cunningham would carry 1t. County Commissioner William Tucker,
 one of the most active of the young
 Democrats of the county, Is from the
 same beat. The beat in his opinion
 would give Cunningham a big major lity.
 All these beats about here are go-
 ing for Cunningham" said MT. Tucker
 ~T know the country and you can take
 my word for it. Look at my own beat
 Crane Hill. Two months ago Conner l wnuid have carried it easily hut not