The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-11

or. Then he would name your other state omcers and the members of your Legislature. Not satisfied with that ne would name your county and your town officers down to the watchman. IT you are going to let him do this I suggest that you select him as Grand Autocrat and Exalted Ruler of Ala bama and we shut up shop as a self governing people"
 Mr. Dent declared he welcomed men from the North as settlers in Alabama. He had ever extended them the hand Of fellowship. They were men who did not try to dictate the politics of the people But Brooks Lawrence did.
 He believed that dictation would be resented by the intelligence and man. hood of the district
 In the opennig Mir Dent said that ne was no band wagon rider. He reared that one of his opponents had descended to band wagon riding for the purpose of being elected. But, thank God" he said I don't have to go 10 Brooks La awrence for my political convictions. don't wear his collar and as much as I would appreciate the honor of going to Congress I would walk the streets of Montgomery trying to earn a living before I would wear the collar of Brooks Lawrence"
 A large crowd heard Mir. Dent. The eity court room was filled and some stood about the doors. hundred ex- Ira chairs had been placed in the court room and these were quickly niied. A number of ladies were pres ent and at the conclusion of his ad- dress splendid bouquet of roses was presented to him.
 The crowd was enthusiastic. A Iarge part of 1t seemed to be in sym pathy with the speaker and he was frequently applauded.
 MT. Dent was presented to the crowd oy Hon. M. B. Houghton, who maid nim handsome tribute. Mir. Hough- ton orienly alluded in his speech to the national campaign. in which he said there was every prospect that Bryan Sho heTn. with a reunited Democracy oehind them would be elected and the rule Of the people establishe ed This was heartily applauded by the crowd MT Dent was quite hoarse in the beginning. He had travelled over the southern part of the county during the gay through rain and delivered three different speeches before his night en- Eagement. His voice cleared. howev. CT. before he had gone far into hts | discourse.
 MT. Dent discussed two propositions m his speech in an hour and a quarter, the two he considered the most i'm portAnt in the campaign. The first of these was the anti-shipping bill and the opposition to him by the Anti-Sa . loon League and the second was the preservation and protection of local self-government. As a matter of fact the whole of the speech was a presen- tation of the central issue of the cam paign and its subsidiary but minor questions.
 He stated his position in reference to law to prevent the shipment of in- t0YiCafinR liOnnra ink | ritory. The bill advocated by Brooks Lawrence and MT. Sanford he | said was unconstitutional and he point 1 ed to the unanimous report of the Judi ciary Committee of Congress as pre- | sented by Congressman Henry D. Clayton. He pointed. also. to the decis- l ion of the Supreme Court of the Unit ed States in the South Carolina case | which held the act unconstitutional. He devoted some time to arguing that Mir. Sanford had changed position on the question at least one time and maybc more. He submitted that his idea that Congress should pass a bill forbidding the issuance of revenue license in prohibition territory was the only practical solution of the question.
 On this question he said that his friend, Colonel Bricken, had ridden the top rail of the fence until recently in Wilcox, when he deigned to alight for moment Tn WILCOX county. He took notice of the candidacy of Thom- as J. Hall from Montgomery county and said that he was a fair man, a just man. and an honest man for whom he entertained the kindliest feeling. But he said Tom Hall had twice sought the nomination and lost and that if Montgomery wanted a home man it's vote should be cast for Dent.
 At the conclusion of the address considerable portion of the audience crowded about the platform and shook the hand of the speaker.