The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-21
ENSLEY'S PROTEST
 IS FULL OF V|GOR Or. Cunningham and Senator Miller Among Speakers IMMENSE CROWD PRESENT Resolutions Oppose Any Arbitrary Ac- tion In Annexing Ensley to Greater
 5lrmineham-Urquhart
 Makes Speech.
IMMENSE CROWD PRESENT

| able terms a representative gathering of l the citizens entered vigorous protest against being arbitrarily annexed to Bir- minghan.
 As an evidence of the interest mani fested every place of business with one or two exceptions closed their doors while the meeting was in progress, while num- bers of workingmen laid off from work to be present.
 There were citizens present who repre- | sented every interest in the city and seldom at a meeting of this kind was such an overwhelming sentiment dis i played as to the question at issue Some | of Alabamas most disting guished citizens ] attended and addressed the meeting and not a single voice was heard or expres- 1 slon made in favor of Ensley being made part of Greater Birmingham. ! Among those present and on the stage | were pr. R. Nj. Cunningham, Senator | Nat L. Miller, Representative W. E. Urquhart, President A. H. Ford of the i Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company, Mayor D. F. Sugg, Superin- tendent N R. Baker, W. R. Stewart. James A. Dupuy, W. H. Mcdowell, and many others.
 1 The meeting was called to order by W. ] R. Stewart, president of the Ensley Com mercial club, who briefly stated the pur- ! pose of the meeting. On motion Dr. R.
 
 | ed chairman and F. Glib Fonville secre- | tray. pr. Cunningham addressed the 1 meeting on the question at issue and made l a great speech. He spoke for 45 min utes, carefully reviewing the situation and giving many reasons why Ensley should retain her individuality. His arguments were forceful and brought forth round i after round of applause. He closed his | brilliant effort with a fine touch of sen- l timent in which he referred to the pio- | neers of this great district Colonel Ems ] ley, Henry DeBardeleben, T. T. Hillman, ! Colonel Sloss and other great leaders of | the industrial development of this dis | trict, and cited the fact that the name | of Sloss was perpetuated in the great 1 Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron company; | Henry DeBardeleben in the vast number | of enterprises which would forever pre- serve his name. The Hillman hospital l was a monument to the man 1t was 1 named after and Dr. Cunningham, with eloquence pleaded that the city of Ems | ley should forever be kept in remem | brsnoe of the great developer to whose | effort and financial aid the great plants of the city which bears his name were | planned and started.
 I It is a question If during Dr. Gun ninghams brilliant career he ever re- | ceived a greater ovation than that given this evening at the close of his speech ! J. A. Dupuy took the chair, as Dr. | Cunningham was called away. The fol- | lowing committee on resolutions was ap- pointed R. l.. Daniels. P. B. Patton, D. l J. Hummer, T. C. Mackey, c. F. Camp 1 and J. s. Hall.
 i c. g. Mosely, who was elected by the carpenters at a meeting last night to voice their sentiments, made a short address. setting forth many logical req sons why Ensley should not be a part ] of Create Birmingham.
 | McDoweIl pvbo fc tho laool representative of several interests in the city, was called upon and in his usual vigorous style expressed his sent iments, and in a few complimentary re- marks, introduced Senator N. L. Mil 1 Ter.
 Senator Miller received an ovation | and launching into his subject he re- viewed at length his attitude on the | Greater Birmingham bill at the last session of the legislature and when he | announced that he still stood upon the | same platform as he did when elect ed and that he would fight any attempt to arbitrarily annex Ensley he was | greeted by a round of applause that was deafening. Representative W. E. l Urquhart made short speech in which he called attention to the fact that he had stood against arbitrary | action while attending the session of l lD6 hHO lndL ne Knew nOtn- | ing now that would cause him to vote otherwise. He also spoke in favor of | the commission form of government for l municipalities.
 He was followed by W. R. Stewart | who earnestly urged that the fight be waged until all danger was over and l predicted that when nearly 1000 peo- pie were standing together as a unit nothing could prevail against them. He urged vigorous fight against the pro- posed scheme.
 | The last speaker was B. F. Parker who electrified the audience by his as- sault on the methods and aims of some of the Greater Birmingham leaders. His ] speech was full of ginger" and snap 1 and his plain arguments caught the crowd. He was cheered time and time again. Chairman Dupuy at this point called on A. H. Ford, who asked to be excused from making a speech. MT Dupuy asked MT. Ford in the event that Ensley became part of Greater Birmingham would the Birmingham Railway. Light and Power company be compelled to give scent fare to Ensley. Mir. Ford gave an emph atic mo"
 Col Sam Will John, representative from Jefferson county, and who is at- tending the supreme court at Mont 1 gomery sent letter expressing his re- grets that he was unable to be pres ent and stated that he would respect the wishes of the majority of the peo- pie of Ensley.
 Chairman R. L. Daniels then offered the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:
 Whereas, 1t Is evident that the pro-
 motors of Greater Birmingham will at-
 tempt to arbitrarily annex Ensley over
 the protest of a large majority of her
 citizens, and
 Whereas, we sincerely believe that an
 neXation at this time will tend to de-
 stroy our business interests: will deprsci-
 ate our propertly values; will be detri-
 mental to our public school system; will
 lessen our police protection; will cut
 short our plan to extend our sanitary
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