The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-03
HOBSON AND DAVIS
 CLASH IN DEBATE Congressman Declares His op- ponent Misquoted Him < DAVIS ANSWERS CHARGES Candidate Says He Did Not Intend to Misrepresent Hobson and criti-
 cises Ills Attitude on the
 Negro Question.
BDAVIS ANSWERS CHARGES

Greensboro, September 2.-(Special) < Captain Hobson and w. c. Davis met in joint discussion in the courth ouse here today. A large and appreciative audience composed of representative citizens from all parts of the county and many ladies were present.
 Captain Hobson opened the discus sion in a speech of one hour and 10 minutes, by saying that he had pre-. viously attempted to change the char acter of debates between himself and MT. Davis by placing them upon u higher level, but that he had been un- able to do so, as MT. Davis had made the contest personal one and had mis- represented him in many instances, and that he proposed to call attention to some of them. He thereupon handed to MT. Davis among others certain writ a ten charges follows:
 II hereby charge that In quoting me as saying that all men are the same, and emitting the rest, namely, We are standing here on the field of eternal justice where all men are the same, you have repeatedly, deliberately anS knowingly misquoted me withintentlon to deceive the voters of the district.
 "I hereby charge that in representing my bills to authorize attendance of five midshipmen at the Naval academy and five cadets at West Point from the Philippine Islands, and one cadet at West Point from Porto Rico, as adVo- eating negro officers in the army and navy you have repeatedly. deliberately and Knowingly misrepresented the facts with the intention to deceive the voters of the district.
 q hereby charge that in reading at Tuscaloosa my speech from the Con gressional Record, and reading Loud applause on the republican side there by falsifying the record and the facts, with the intention to deceive the voters in the audience.
 "I charge that in stating that I called on Tom Henin to come down because he criticised the dining together of Presi- dent Roosevelt and Booker Washington, you have deliberately misrerresented the facts for the purpose of deceiVins the voters in tine audience.
 Hobson also stated that the negroes had ceased to be a factor in the politics of Alabama, and that this was due to the adoption of the last constitution. and as Mir Davis was criticising him about ms vote on what was known as "the Browns vile bll,' and claiming that he had nor represented the people on the negro aues- ton, he stated that MT. Davis while a member Of the legislature had voted against the bill calling a constitutional convention. and had also voted $15oo year to the negro school of which Booker Washington was president at Tuskegee He said that MT Davis had had one op- portunity while a member of the lesisla- ture to vote for the calling of the eonsti- tutiona convention to eliminate the negro vote and by voting against it had dis qualified himself from critlcising any one upon that subject. and that in voting the $500 per annum for Booker Washington school he had voted to appropriate money to the most richly endowed institution in the south. Captain Hobson stated that on yesterday in Eutaw MT. Davis, on be- ing handed these four charges. and on be- ing asked by some one in the audience to reply to them, replied by splitting upon them and by tramping them under his feet. Captain Hobson also stated that while Mir Davis might treat these charges in this way. such methods constituted no answer to them. and then called upon MT. Davis to explain himself.
 Captain Hobson discussed the other is- sues of the campakn in strong and convincing way, and at the conclusion of his eloquent talk he was greeted with prolonged applause.
 MT. Davis opened his speech of one hour ard thirty minutes by stating tha. he would undertake to answer the charges which had been made against him by Capt Hobson. He said that he had not intended to misrepresent MT. 1Iobson. and that according to his con- structon, "All men are the same meant the same thing, in legislative matters as the expression We are standing here on the eternal fields of justice. where all men are the same" That the express sion We are standing on the eternal fields of justice where all men are equal'' in a court of justice might mean a diff ferent thing from All men are the same" but that in matters of legisla- tion. according to his idea, the two ex- pressons mean the same thing. He stated that he had not intended to make any misrepresentation of Capt. Hobson by stating as expressed in charge No. 2 that 1t authorized the appointment of negro officers in the army and navy be- cause he said he understood that the bill confined itself to the appointment of natives. and as there were negroes both in Porto Rico and the Philippines, and such bill did not prohibit the appoint ment of negroes from those islands, that negroes might be appointed.
 With reference to- charge No. 8, he admitted that in reading Capt. Hobson's speech in Tuscaloosa, that he read Loud applause on the republican side,''1 when the record only said Loud applause" |" and that he added the words Ion the republican side." and that when he did so. he knew that Hobson had the record with him, and he thought that the audi ence would know that he added it.
 Answering charge No. he said he thought that every one knew that Hob- son had 'called down" Tom Heflin after