The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-31
CUNNINGHAM ALONE IS
 BEARING CAMPAIGN EXPENSES

ing green was broken up SO that ev- erybody could hear the returned citi- zen of Newbury discuss his candidacy for Governor.
 Dr. Cunningham was presented to the audience by Ben H. Smith. young man of great promise who Is trying t1 follow in his footsteps. For MT. Smith Is a candidate for the Legislature from Franklin county. for the place held by Dr Cunningham twenty-six years ago.
 MT. Smith spoke of the great pleas rre of the people of Newbury felt in greeting the distinguished man who had spent his early years among them. His people had felt deep pride in the professional and political success that had come to him and they had felt deep pride in his ability. his high char acter and his stand in his long pub lie career for morals and for justice.
 Warmed by the spontaneous applause which greeted him Lieutenant Cover nor Cunningham said:
 None of you older men who support ed me when I ran for the Legislature as a young country doctor believed that I would ever appear before you asking your support for Governor. ] never heard of but one man predicting that would one day be Governor oi Alabama and that was Uncle Jimmie Murphy. And I am sure l laughed as heartily at the time as any one else And yet the prophecy has already come true. my friends. l administered the office of Governor for eleven months In the absence of Governor Jelks and now the probabilities are that I will be called to this high office by the votes or the people of Alabama"
 When the speaking was over Cover nor Cunningham accompanied by al small party of friends, drove over from Nr. .f..~ stta- ous hills which separates the counties of Lawrence and Franklin to Mt. Hope where he was born and where his peo- pie now live at the old homestead.
 He left with Franklin County feei- ing Of peculiar qualification. If he had already been elected Governor. if he had come back to his old friends the victor in hard fought contest for the high office of Governor he could not have received a warmer welcome or a heartier greeting. On every hand there were words of good cheer and pledges of support. The people of Franklin have no patience with the stories that have been circulated that Dr. Gun ningham Is in touch and in harmony with the corporate influences of the State and against the people of Ala bama.
 Many predictions have been made as to the vote Dr. Cunningham will get and many predictions have been made as to the size of his majority. James Wilson, a leading merchant of Russell vile, said In this connection:
 "In Franklin County about 800 votes will be cast. Of these. Dr. Cunningham will get in the nelghborhood of 600 and I don't mind being quoted on that. He would get vote of to l, if the election was held tomorrow. By Au- gust 27. his vote. believe. will be even larger, for his strength has grown eteadily and expect it to continue to grow. But now when prophecy vote of 600 for him, I am speaking of the situation as it exists at present.
 "Dr. Cunningham and Mfr. Conner had their first joint discussion at Russell vil1e last November. At that time the friends of Dr. Cunningham expected to carry the county for him. They ex- pected to carry 1t with a fight and by no great majority. But. since then, the sentiment in Franklin County has SO changed as 1t has changed in other portions of Alabama that now we ex- pect his majority to be an enormous one in proportion to the vote that will be cast There are beats In Franklin County in which there are no Conner men. beats that will go solidly for Dr. Cunningham. Of course there are some Conner men in the county. some of whom are loud mouthed and active for their candidate. And we may lose one or two beats in the county. Bnt the total vote will be to l. for Cunning ham,