The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-02
GOOD CROWD HEARS SPEAKERS AT PRATT O'Neal and Stallings Are the
 Speakers BOASTS FOR THOMPSON Hearers Are Greatly Amused By Refer ences to Federal ssPie Eaters' and
 QuarreIs Over the "Fed-
 eraI Spoon"
RoASTs FOR THOMPSON

Over 300 people crowded the hall at Pratt City last night to heard Col. Elm met O'Neal and Jesse Stallings, on the issues of the day. It was one of the most interested and enthusiastic audi ences ever gathered in the little city, and they were so appreciative that the orators became more than eloquent.
 It was a sad night for the republican nominee, Joseph Thompson, for the voters seemed to delight in the trimming which he was given and called loudly for more. Thompson was condemned for his record on the negro question, for his failure to suppress the Illicit sale and manufacture of liquor, for his assessment of postmasters, and other irregularities which were laid at his door.
 Colonel O'Neal reviewed the issues of the campaign, and insisted that the dem ocratic party wants no man in its ranks who will violate the solemn obligations of a pledge of honor Every true demo- crat recognizes the solemn pledge which he took upon entering the democratic primary, and he will support all the nominees, no matter where he stood," he said.
 MT Stallings convulsed his hearers with hls characteristic speech. His text was By their fruits ye shall know them,' and he proceeded to put up MT. Thompson as a sour apple tree, from which he plucked his fruits one at a time. ' TlSlNd
 Booker T. Washington, he said. was the gardener, who trained him up from postmaster at Tuskegee to be referee in Alabama, and he alleged that no man except Booker Washington could have written MT. Thompson's speeches.
 Among the fruit was the removal of Gen. George D. Johnston from the land office at Montgomery, who was replaced by the negro Nathan Alexander. He most severely condemned Thompson for his ad- vocacy of the repeal of the poll tax pro- vision of the constitution, declaring that 1t was but another proof of his love for the negro, and his seeking social equality.
 Colonel O'Neal promised the miners of the district that he would use his best efforts to have enacted laws protecting the life and limb of the men who labor under the ground. He summed up Thompson in a few words. He has de- voted his time to peddling federal offices, to levying contributions on federal post masters and officials, to organizing po- litical machine in Alabama which can control the seelction of delegates to the national republican convention, to incit- ing the negro in Alabama to aspire to high federal office, to doing the dirty work for Hitchcock at Washington. and to using his position as referee to build up a po- ltical machine to overthrow white su- premacy."
 Colonel O'Neal brought down the house when he described Thompson and Scott squabbling over the federal spoon, in or der that they might scrape the pan of federal patronage. and Mir. Stallings in sisted that Thompson is the candidate of Booker T. Washington for referee, "the position to which Washington appointed him"
 The fine crowd at Pratt City was a pleasant surprise, as not nearly 30 many were expected. One man drove seven miles from the country to hear the speeches. At the close a general recep- ton was held, and Colonel O'Neal met personally most of the voters of that ward