The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-06


 understandable applause. R. H. Kerr, the
 attorney who represented MT. Hoyt in the
 recent Gambill-Hoyt contest, followed
 with the closing speech. MT. Kerr re-
 viewed the evidence in the case to
 deeply interested house and among other
 things said "There is not man in the
 Third ward today, whether he voted for
 Gambll or for Hoyt. who was in sym
 pathy with the action of the council last
 Wednesday night MT. Kerr at the close
 of his address introduced the resolutions,
 which, as stated, were adopted with a
 unanimous aye" that might have been
 heard throughout. a radius of several
 blocks.
 Although the armory became chilled be-
 fore the conclusion of the meeting and
 in spite of the fact that those who stood
 upon their feet were in an uncomfortable
 situation, during the three hours through
 which the proceedings fitted no man left
 the hall, or intimated even a half-hearted
 desire to do so.
 MT. Percy Speaks First.
 After stating the cause and object of
 the meeting MT. Percy referred to the
 condition of the city government as it is
 today. He took up the recent actions of i the council, it's disposition of the yer i diets in the Klotz and Forney cases, it's 1 failure to appoint a committee to investi- gate the charges against Fulghum, and
 its election of MT. Gambill over the Third i ward nominee, MT. Hoyt
 He criticised MT. Forney in no half ] hearted way and then congratu tulated him l in that he saw fit to resign. "I was also l in hope" he stated, that Mr. Kloz would l have resigned. Had he done so we could have referred to his action as blunder i But now there can be no leniency in deal , ing with him. He had done no service for 1 payment nor one warranting him to re-
 ceive money. When he did collect $4OO he l should, in all decency, have turned 1t over
 to the city for the use of the people of
 Birmingham"
 At this juncture voice in the audience
 inquired: Tell us about Dick Burnett" :"
 T will get to Burnett in short while" | stated MT. Percy. When again the voice urged discussion of MT. Burnett, MT l Percy replied: If you care to hear l about Burnett just wait awhile. If you
 are endeavoring to interrupt I suggest l that you have done so enough | The silent boss, continued MT l Percy sent out the word, and when the l verdicts finding F'orney and Hlotz guilty i of official misconduct were read they were ] promptly referred to a committee, the 1 chairman of which is MT. Fred Fulghum. i MT. Fred Fulghum, some months ago,
 was charged with bribery. l pray that i he is innocent, but the fact remains that l those charges have never been disproved. l When you consider that Fulghum, For 1 ney and others of that faction are mem | bers of the judiciary committee, would It not have been more appropriate had the l Verdicts been referred to the cemetery 1 committee?"
 The Third Ward Affair.
 MT. Percy then considered the election | of Third ward aldermen, briefly review
 ing the facts in that case. When this | high-handed outrage is considered the i acts of Klotz and poor John Forney fade | into insignificance. It was the expressed l will of the people that MT. Hoyt should l represent them. But it seems that some | one needed Mr. Gambill. Someone needed
 nerve, and someone felt that Dick had l the nerve, even as Dick Burnett has the 1 brains. The statement of Gambill in The | Age-Herald this morning emanated from | the brain of my friend, B. M. Allen. I 1 desire to say that no lawyer in the state l of Alabama could have honestly defended | that position. On account of the fact | that MT. Gambill served the city well on | another occasion, l did not oppose him, l but the placing him in office last Wednes- | day night was the greatest outrage ever | perpetrated in the city of Birmingham. 1 Prolonged applause)
 When I reached my office this morn l ing I found man there who has been l discussed tonight. He endeavored to ex- l plain some of the reasons accountable | for the present situation in Birmingham. In my office he made this statement: I am compelled to admit that MT. Hoyt should have been seated in all decency. l will you give us the name of the man?' cried some one from the audience. q hesitate to do so, replied MT. Percy, | flor the simple reason that it might be construed as breach of confidence Calls It "Brazen Disregard" 1 "The people should protest. We have l had dishonest men before, but never such | brazen disregard of the will of the peo- ple. Gentlemen, when we consider the election of MT. Gambill. the actions of | <lotz and Forney appear insignificant. | heir errors might have been unpremedi- l tated, but in this other matter, it was cold-blooded. This condition is the legiti- mate result of the present system of gov ernment. Think of men serving us for 1 nothing-or, being expected to-serve for nothing. Think of government by the i silent bos.' Look at his record. For years this man. in the very heart of | Birmingham, in open defiance of the law, operated swindling, pifering, gambling I he'll Dick Burnett Is not the man to QO1nlIldte, llie diiehii D oi tho .Siiy ol DIT lmingham. It has been! intimated that he will resign. I desire to state that until l he does resign, the good people of this community will never rest.
 Were there not an object in view the conditions of the city affairs are so rot ten that t.-ey are hardly worth touching. But the Burnetts and other criminals who have been and are on the Board of Alder men have brought about a movement more rapidly than it would have come otherwise. Remember that the cheapest servant is the most expensive.
 ''The conditions of affairs in Birming- ham, miserable as they are, are better than in some cities This is due to the fact that the minority exists Brming- ham owes that brave young man, Mayor Ward, a debt of everlasting gratitude (prolonged applause), for Mayor Ward with the assistance of the minority, has