The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-19

 Congressman Clayton Principal Speaker. DECLARES TARIFF LEADING ISSUE OF THE CAMPAIGN Gen. ]. w. A. Sanford is Clubs
 President. Hon. John W. ronlinson Spoke on the Bright Democratic Prospects and Messrs. s. H. Dent and K.
 3. Price Delivered
 Addresses.

At an enthusiastic meeting held at the Court House Friday night. address, ed by Congressman Henry D. Clayton. who was Permanent Chairman of the National Democratic Convention at Den- yer and other distinguished speakers. 2 strong Bryan and Kern Club was or ganfzed with Gen. John w. A. Sam ford, President. and Hugh K. Watts. secretary. In his speech Congressman Clayton declared that the tariff was
 the leading question: of the cam paign. and It would continue to be the leading question untii 1t had been set liea m the interest of the consumer and not by the Republican way in the interest of the manufacturers.
 Hon. John W. Tomlinson, who is chairman of the Democratic Club Or ganizatiops at National Headauarters in Chicago. came down from Birming- ham especially to address the gather ing. Addresses were also made by Hon. s. H Dent. nominee for Congress from the. Second District. and Hon. K. B. Price of Troy. The large gathering which filled the big court room, was unitedly for the Democratic ticket and a strong Bryan and Kern Club was or. ganized At the close of the meeting Chairman John A. Fillmore of the Mont gomery City Executive Committee. an. noupced the gift of $50 of the commit tees surplus funds to the National Campaign Committee to assist in the election of Bryan and Kern.
 MT. Clayton is on his way to the North and West where he will speak in the interest of Bryan and Kern. His itinerary between now and November will reach into nineteen different States.
 He selected as the central issue of the present campaign the tariff issue. an issue on which the Republicans have begun to dodge and run. Their plat form, he said. declared for "a reform" of the tariff. The word reform Y when applied to the tariff meant that it could be either raised or lowered. No sane man. he said, expected the Republican Party to lower the tariff. He proved by the history of the party that 1t had steadily increased the tariff every time 1t had the chance.
 Attendmnce Was Large.
 The attendance at the meeting was most gratifying. Montgomery being ing conventions. meetings and speak, ings going on practically all the time. is notori0usly poor place for asseHnb- ling crowd for political speaking Knowing this the promoters of the Bryan and Kern meeting were a bit ap- prehensive that sufficient interest would not be taken In the meeting and the 
 4 fine crowd gathered. The big court room was filled. A hundred extra seats had been brought in and these were filled. The crowd both in size and in enthusiasm was all that could be de- sired.
 Chairman George W. Jones. of the Democratic Executive Committee of Montgomery County, under the auspices of which the club was formed. raped the gathering to order with his stick a few minutes after o'clock. The court room was filled from the judges stand to the door. Voicing the pleas ure and privilege it was his. in ass -1 semblipg the meeting, he called the crowd to order and announced that the meeting was ready for motions.
 Henry Hughes moved that a commit tee of three he named to select perma- nent officers for the meeting, The mo- ton having carried Chairman Jones named on that committee Messrs. Hughes Temple Seibels and Pat Me- GaMiey. The committee after few minutes deliherstion reported through Mir. Hughes that Gen. John W. A. San ford should be made President and Hugh K. Watts Secretary of the club The report was unanimously adopted and Gereraf Sanford amid continued applause was led to the chair by MessFs. Hughes and Seibels.
 General Sanford appreciating the fact that two visiting speakers were to fol- low him. spoke but briefly. He was pleased at the meeting not only for its large attendance but for the purpose for which 1t was called. It was well that the Democrats of Montgomery shon1d organize. It was a day of or- ganization.
 eve belong to a party which Tor sixtv years glorified the history of our cn,,ntry,' said General Sanford You are to be congratulated on belonging to party based on the true prin- oit lis long history has met the ne- cessities of a government by the peo- pie"