The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-02
HOBSON AND DAVIS IN WARM DEBATE Discuss Issues With Voters at
 EutaW ARE CAUSTIC AT TIMES Both Candidates for Congress in the Sixth District Have Friends
 Who Sit Through Long
 Discussion.

Eutaw, September 1.-(Special.) )-Capt. Richmond P Hobson and w. c. Davis met in joint debate at the courthouse here today at 1030 o'clock, and were listened to by large and attentive audience, in- cluding a good many ladies. Senator Amos Horton presided over the meeting by agreement.
 MT. Davis opened with one hour and 10 minutes, followed by Captain Hobson In a speech of one hour and 30 minutes MT. Davis closed with a rejoinder of 20 min utes.
 The speeches were spicy from start to finish. Dr. Davis first defended himself of the charges made by Captain Hob- son SIS to his record as a representative from Marion county several years ago, and said he represented the wishes of hs constituents. and asked the captain If he represented the wishes of his constitu- ents in the Sixth district when he voted to reinstate the negro soldiers that shot up the town of Brownsville.
 MT. Hobson did not appear until the last minute, and MT. Davis said that MT.
  after the house was crowded so he could be applauded, but as there was no ap- plause when he entered MT. Davis noted MT. Hobson's disappointment
 He then charged Captain Hobson with having republican leanings. citing as his reasons for this his record in Congress, voting for tax on coffee ship subsidy bill and the Brownsville bill, and also said that Captain Hobson had declared him. self protectionist and asked the ques- tion. 'How many southern democrats are protectionists?"
 Captain Hobson first preferred several charges against MT. Davis, accusing him of misrepresenting him iN several in- stances, and defended himself in voting on tax on coffee, said he had never voted for the ship subsidy bill, and that the vote to reinstate the negro soldiers that were discharged by Roosevelt, was not the Foraker bill but rebuke to Foraker. and that he voted according to the dic- tates of his conscience. and that his vote was right and defended himself along this line.
 He said he was quietly working on a scheme to have the United States govern ment pay the south an indemnity for losses during the war, and that he thought he would be able to accomplish something along this line if fellows of such strip as Tom Heflin would not be forever stirring up so much sectional feeling
 Captain Hobson said that if the voters of the Sixth district turned him down on account of his voting for the bill to rein state the negroes that shot up Browns- vile they would do so because he con- scientfousiy discharged his duty, and he felt that he did the proper thing in voting as he did.
 Captain Hobson said that he heard that Itr Davis made the remark, That if 1t @as not for that d-n farming crowd that he could beat Hobson.' In answer to this MT. Davis arose and said that he had stated at Tuscaloosa that such state ment was untrue, and that he now de- clared tht the repetition of it was untrue.
 MT Davis then closed in a 2o-minute speech, in which he took the captain to task severely for coming in his room, un- invited, at Carrollton, and seeing a Bible lying on his bed, tried to make it appear that he CDavis) was hypocrite.
 Some predicted that Mir. Davis would not be able to cope with the "hero" in a joint debate, but it was plainly proven that he was equal to the demands of the occasion. He left his friends well satis- fled.
 The rejoinder was so emphatic that not withstanding the heat the captain was chilled. and actually got up and put on his overcoat.
 MT. Davis said that he regretted that, Captain Hobson had seen fit to make such a speech as he did, almost insulting" and that he did not have any hard feel ings against him, and said if Captain Hob- son, however, wanted to meet a prize fighter that he would refer him to John I. Sullivan, or possibly Jack Johnson might suit him better.
 The intense heat made 1t very dis agreeable in the courtroom during the speaking, but the crowd stayed through 1t all. Everything passed off quietly and after the debate each candidate had his friends and supporters to shower congrat- ulations and wish for him all the good luck"