The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08
But Makes No Direct Per-
sOnal Reference to His
Opponent, Sen. Johnston
AUDIENCE SMALL
BUT ENTHUSIASTIC
Declares He Is Up Against Most
Powerful and Most Unscrupulous
Enemy the World Has
Ever Known

In a dramatic speech at the Bijou
theatre last night, Capt Richmond
Pearson Hobson, candidate for the SEN
ate, declared that he is up against the
most powerful, relentless and unscrup-
ulous enemy the world has ever known.
He made no direct attack against
Senator Joseph F. Johnston, his OPP
ponent, but his terrific arraignment of
the "oid time politician who plays the
game for his own selfish interest" left
no doubt in the minds of his hearers
to whom he was referring. He declared
the present fight to be one for and
against the reactionary as opposed TO
the progressive and again very plain
ly fnsinuated that Senator Johnston
was the reactionary In question, while
Captain Hobson was the progressive.
Near the conclusion of his speech
he recited the story "of his unfaltering
effort to uphold the truth" In this re-
gard he said:
In my district l ran against the
most powerful politician the state has
produced. In my last campaign | WAS
opposed by flying squadron and a
stupendous liquor fund poured into the
district. | was returned to Congress
by quadrupled majority. And now
l am up against the most powerful
relentless and unscrupulous enemy the
world has ever known"
Audience Was Small
The audience was very small. The
fa1thful adherents of the congressman
were in the great majority. 1t was
typical Hobson audience and one which
gave vent to tumultuous applause
when the speaker declared himself in
! f.1xr =.
stitution of the United States and the
| constitution of the world.
Following the address, w. Il. Urqu-
| mart, local attorney requested Cap
! tain Hobson to stand at one of the exits
| of the theatre in order "that uhe peo-
| pie might have the privilege of shaking
| his hand" This the captain consented
| to do and the people retired they
| shook the congressman's hand, con-
graduated him on his effort and prom
| ised to stand by him in the impending
campaign
| Captain Hobson began his address at
S:45 o'clock and concluded at 10:45
o'clock He was presented by Alonzo
Atkins, who declared the congressman
| to be the most prominent cilizen of
| Alabama and of the United States. Cap
| tain Hobson was in excellent trim. Af-
| ter attributing the very small audience
| to the fact that rain had previously
| ldilen, lie lduHcneu lHto MS ADDRESS.
sa Cause of Our Evils
1t was a typical Hobson speech. He
began by picturng Alabama, with its
marvellous resources, and compared the
| states present condition to what it
should be. For all the evils that exist
he held the "old time politician" re-
sponsible For the hope of paradise
to come, he gave credit to the pro-
gressive in case the progressive was
elevated to high office
A1abamas alleged inability to fix the
prices of raw materials, the undevel-
oped waterpower of the state, the ina
| bility of the people to tax themselves
for the sake of education and the fed
eral prohibition against national banks
lending money on farm lands as Sc
curity were among the charges he
hurled against the "old time poll
| tician."
Il do not criticise him for what he
is exclaimed the orator "He was
brought up that way and can't help
| it, He plays the game with everything
and plays it for himself. So turn him
out and put somebody else in."
As descriptive of himself and as a
reason for his political activity Cap
tain Hobson, following the above ar
raignment of the "old time politician"
said: Il pray that God will make me
able to contribute my maximum to the
development of character and the pro-
mitigation of the great uplift" He
declared also that the Senate will be
simply another step in the cause, from
which it was gathered that he has
ambition to acquire the presidency of
the United States.
His Work in Congress
considerable portion of the ad-
dress was consumed in refutation
of the charge that he is inattentive to
his duty in Congress and in d narra-
ton of what he has accomplished for
the people of his district. He de-
clared that he had foreseen the ap-
proach Of the boil weevil and grasped
the opportunity to make his district II
cattle growing section. He then spoke
i of what he planned to do, how his
bills, If enacted into law, would make
the federal government aid to the ex-
tent of millions annually in construct
ing highways and in educating the
young.
He repeated his former remarks in
reference to the destructive power of
alcohol and declared again that the an
nual number of deaths In the United
States from liquor Is greater than that
caused by all the wars of the world.
He spoke of the effect of whisky on
the unborn of man and brute. He told
of his work in spreading his speech.
''The Great Destroyer" and declared
that he had mailed 100000 personal
prohibition letters to the young men of
the country.
Mr.. Hobson delighted his audience,
which though small, was composed Of
Hobson men. He promised to repeat his