The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-02
OPEN LETTER BY
 MAX HAMBURGER Mobile Man Asks w. D. NeSbitt
 Some Questions C0MER AND CHILD LABOR Thinks There Is Question of Veracty Between Two Prominent Men
 of Jefferson County.
 Speeches Quoted.
COMER AND CHILD LABOR

given space in your paper in April to tell what he didn't know about my nom ination, etc. I hope you may see fit to use the enclosed. Yours truly,
 WILLIAM HAMBURGER. JR. Mobile, Ala. June 30, 1906
 June 2s. 1906. MT. w. D. Nesbitt, Birmingham, Ala.
 Dear Slr-Your letter to hand eontain- ing the declaration of MT. Wilson R. Brown wherein that gentleman asserts that MT B. B. Conner had nothing direct ly or indirectly to do with the defeat of the child labor bill,'' Mir Browns state ment being a denial of the interview of Hon. A. J. Reilly, eX-member of the leg fsature from Jefferson county, which was published in the Daley Herald of June B.
 note that Mr. Browns letter to Mr. Conner was given to the Birmingham press on the same date 1t was mailed to me.
 The statements attributed to MT. Reil- ly by the Daley Herald were made in my presence by that gentleman. who was interviewed later by one of our reporters on Thursday evening, June !. The fol- lowing morning Mir. Reilly called at the office and reviewed the proof of the ar ticle wherein he alleged that 'B. B. Conner Is an enemy to organized labor and was one of the strongest opponents to the "child labor act" introduced by me in the lower house of the general assembly,
 So, Mir Nesbitt, 1t appears that ques- tion of veracity is raised between two distinguished citizens of your county, with the Daily Herald merely endeavoring to ascertain the truth to the end that justice may be done both to MT. Conner and the little slave children of the state who are pouring their lifes blood Into the mint of the millionaires
 Having published at your request Mir Browns letter may I ask you if this attention by MT. Conner and Mir Comer's political advocates to his child labor rec ord Is not rather sudden? Can 1t be that they having great and good cause to "sit up and take notice of the Cunning ham cyclone have concluded that they can no longer defy public sentiment by shouting ''railroad oligarchy" in futile effort to drown the "cry of the chil- al en-" and the protests of the sterling manhood of Alabama against Comer- crazed campaign of passion and preJudlee?
 The amazement of Mobilians at MT. Corners belated senstiveness as to his child labor record Is equalled only by their astonishment at his statements that he has not attempted to dictate leglsla- tive nominations Having seen and heard him perform at the Selma debate I am now piousy prepared for any word or act from him no matter what violence he may do to the dignity of the high office to which he aspires but. MT. Nes- bitt many of our people have not seen Mr. Conner at close range and they. like Zaccheus of old, are up tree for an explanation of his queer conduct.
 They know that after a great beating of tom-toms by his faithful in this coun- ty the great chief, bedeclled in red paint and attired in anger. went on the war path in our county to secure my senator ial scalp with which to adorn his lodge pole-solely because I had absolutely re- fused to follow him on the trail or to recognize him as being any more than an ordinary Indian.
 The first Conner pow-wow was held at Whistler, a thriving town five miles to the north where the chief spoke, as did ex-Mayor Walsh, my distinguished oppo- rent and a number of other gentlemen, all of whom I assure you, MT. Nesbitt' have been overwhelmingly defeated every time they have gone before the people for any office of prominence.
 When they had concluded the ungrac- ious act of making my chances Took like thirty cents in Confederate money. as one of Mr. Comers local organs hlari- ously announced he would do, the crowd called on me.
 In part, in my opening remarks, l said in effect:
 MY 1rlenuSt uulll lDiS Iloul I hfiNt ii'N been fighting MT. Conner. but MT. Conner is out here to fight me-they have brought him down from Birmingham to tour Mo bile county against me and here and now I say to him and to the Conner club, linn ited: Lay on McDuff, lay on McDuf and damned be he who first cries, hold! enough"
 Now. fellow democrats, when MT. Conner invades Mobile county. whip in hand, and sceptre on head, to play the roll of dic- tator he should enlighten us on some subjects other than railroad rates. l am sorry that our millionaire friend has not seen fit to tell you workingmen whether or not he will some day cease to pauper- ize his employees in Jefferson county
 .I regret that he has not informed you that the day Is coming when he will cease tC trample under foot the union principles for which you men of Whistler stand l had hoped that our millionaire dictator, fresh from the Avondale cotton mills, would say that the time Is near when he would cease to grow rich and fat upon the il-pad toll of the working people would stop colning money out of the flesh and blood of little children"
 Now MT. Nesbitt, your friend Mr. Conner was standing within six feet of me at the Whistler meeting when the above reference to his child-labor record was greeted by prolonged cheers. Why did he rot then refute my statements? Why did he not remind me that l was in error? Had he done so I would have pulled from my pocket a copy of the Labor AdVo- cate official organ of union labor In north Alabama published in stones throw of Mir. Comers home, and read therefrom the following terrific arraignment; sMr Conner is a man whose whole course in life has been such as to merit the enmity of the laboring class of this state. MT. Conner for years was the head and front of the fight to allow children in the cotton mills and but for his opposl- ton to the child labor law years ago. the vonng and innocent children would nave heen nrotected. We therefore call upon our friends all over Alabama 10 nght tnls eelf-seeker who has grown rich and fat ,,non the Ill-paid toll of the working peo- nJe. For the first time in years we have an ouportunity to show our strength: so TOW lets put forever in the background this most arbitrary coiner of Innocent i b1ood into dollars with which to hBht the masses Contrast sG1000 home that he has tpon 'Eabob hill for his children with inc novels that he keeps the workinsmen's x children in. Who has paid for this place? ,rhe Iabor of babies at 10 cents per day and inc sweat of poor women al sl.5O per week shame upon the working people Of l this state if they do not go to the polls and fight in the open against ms m carnation of selfish greed.
 I note, MT. Nesbitt that you fall to reier to Mir. Reilly's statement tnat, mueh hoe heon said in the newspapers of the l Avondale mills. People ef2ployed al mat mill which Is just outside the city limits. d,,r,,,- .ho winter months were for some ,ears l. charge on the United Charities of