The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22
Warm Bandying of Words Be-
tween Candidates
DAVIS GETS CALL DOWN
Chairman Moody Calls Him to Account
for Using Unparliamentary Lam
guage in His Discussion.
Hobson Takes off Coat.
BY r. T. MAJORS.

! joint speaking here today between Capt.
r. P. Hobson and w. C. Davis, candi-
dates for Congress from the Sixth, drew
a large attendance at the courthouse.
The main court room was unable to hold
all who came and many were turned
away, while others had to stand through
out.
Senator f. S. Moody called the meeting
| to order, stating that he had been re-
quested by both speakers to act as chair
man. He introduced Captain Hobson first
stating that he would open with an hour
and 10 minutes speech, to be followed
by Mr.. Davis in an hour and a halt
speech, and Hobson to have 20 minutes
rejoinder.
Captain Hobson asked the privileges OF
the people for the speakers to take off
their coats, stating that he hoped 1t would
not embarass his opponent to do-so, that
from what he had heard and from q
motion made to his pocket at the speak
ing at Hamilton, there might be a reason
for his keeping on his coat
The captain then took up the race
question, stating that this had been In
jected into the campaign He said he
believed unqualifiedly in the superiority of
the white races, not only over the negro,
but over all others; that he had hsI OPP
portunities for studying this question and
that his study had more and more con-
WINGED him of this fundamental truth.
He said he was absolutely sound on this
question, in line with his party and with
his people, but that he doubted the
soundness of his opponent for the reason
that he had not had opportunities for
studying the question, and that some of
his votes in the legislature indicated his
unsoundness, notably his vote against the
constitutional convention, which was to
disfranchise the negro, and his vote to
appropriate money to the negro school at
Tuskegee, two matters which raised the
fundamental question.
Take Up Record.
He took up his own record and insisted
that he had done his full duty, that the
charges that he was neglectful in any
wise were wholly unfounded. He said 1t
was true he supplemented his income by
lecturing, and that his lectures were to
further the acceptance of the great reform
movements In government and to bring
about a better condition between north
and south.
He stated that Mr.. Davis had missed
S56 roll calls while in the Legislature
when some very important questions wore
up for vote, citing many of these.
He called attention to his own record in
the matter of getting bills passed and said
that no congressman had done more and
none had been more faithful in the per-
Torrance of duty. He spoke of his COM
mittee appointments, and the work he
had done on committees; his work in the
departments. whereby he had made his
district the beneficiary of the service OF
the governments departments.
He spoke of his agricultural work and
said that on this work alone he believed
he had the right to demand the confidence
of his constituents.
At this juncture he quoted Mr.. Davis as
saying that were it not for that damn
| farming work" he could beat him. Mr.
| Davis arose at once and asked Mr.. Hob
! son If he meant to attribute those words
to him. Mr.. Hobson said; mot In your
speeches." Mr.. Davis replied that he
had not used that word at all; that he
! never used 1t.
This ELECTED a large amount of ap.
| plause
Captain Hobson said he would retracl
| the statement, that he did sometimes use
the word damn, as he felt that there
| were some things that should properly bt
| damned.
| Issues of the Day.
He took up the issues of the day and
! discussed his allegiance to democracy ana
| the work he had done for it. He spok.
of having taken the stump in the Seventh
district of Alabama, where the issue wa;
in doubt, and having spoken with goot
effect in many states in the union. HI
said his opponent spoke much of his ter
rible love for democracy but cited him t.
show any work he had done He sug
gested that it would be proper II he wer'
anxious to help the party that he contri
| butte In money If not service. and Offered
| to give $50 for certain democratic cam
| paign work, If Mr.. Davis would do like
! wise.
, He charged Mr.. Davis with deliberate
ly and wifully misquoting him in hi
| speeches with reference to all men bein,
equal, whereupon he had said all mel
were equal on the field of justice; also al
to his charge that he supported negroes
being in the army and navy In his sup
| port OF Dill 10 permit fiHplios civ
Porto Ricans to be educated in the gov
eminent academies.
He said he did not have but few min
utes left and devoted this to defendin;
his vote in the Brownsville matter, say
ing he voted for this bill because h
wanted to see the guilty punished, a.
they had not yet been. and the innocen
restored, as they could not now be; tina
the bill was rebuke really to Forake
and that it was by no means Foraker
bill; that it was one to do justice. Fl
was here told that his time was up, AM
he retired from the platform.
Davis Denies Charge.
Mr.. Davis stated at the outset that tn
charge in any way that he had bee
armed at Hamilton was altogether un
true. and If any such impression ha
be en- created he wanted 1t corrected; tina
he had not carried a pistol, nor had on
on his person in is years. That he didn'
| think there was need of any sue
weapons in such a campaign, and Cap
| tain Hobson's thinking so might original
| from the idea that he himself though
he ought to be shot. He said he woul
decline to remove his coat when speak
| ing that he thought with ladies' In tn
audience it were more proper for tn
speaker to keep his coat on.
He remarked on the fact that The Age
| IIerald's report of the Hamilton speak
| ing was easonably fair, considering IN
| fact that the correspondent was Mr.. Hob
sons campaign manager and was assist
| ed by Mr.. Hobson's secretary. He sal
| he was sorry that the word demagogu
| was being so freely used In the debate
| +h,t loxrevar consolidating the matter o