The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-22
CITES RECORD TO
PROVE CONTENTION
Asks Sessions lie He Did Not Know
Hobson's Statements About In
derwood's Support of Webb
Bill Were Unfair

| NSe-1erald yesterday morning at the
Irequest of r. P. Hobson and his Jeffer-
son county manager Walter Sessions.
| Mr.. Johnston charges and attempts to
prove by congressional records and stem
! ographic records of Mr.. Hobsons speeches
that the opponent of Mr.. Underwood is
conducting his campaign on unfair prin-
clpies. In regard to Mr.. Sessions, Mr..
Johnston states that that gentleman is
a man of integrity. He then demands of
Mr.. Sessions if he did not know when
Mr.. Hobson stated that Mr.. Urderwood's
support of the Webb bill was half hearted
| that the captain was induging in mis-
representation"
The spicy card of the Underwood man.
ager follows:
| Mr.. Johnston's Reply
| TO the Editor OF The Age Herald:
| In reply to the card of Captain Hob
son, In which he now says that he re-
ferred TO Mr.. Underwoo1's vote in the
local option election of 1907 l will refer
the accuracy of that statement to the
people of Alabama whom he has adj
dressed in this campaign. They VIII
know whether or not Captain Hobson
the impression, that he referred to the
election in Jefferson county held in ac-
cordance with the Smith bill in August,
1911-that being the only recent election
with which l am familiar, ard the only
election in which the return of the saloon
was involved. 1t is a waste of time to
drive home the captains constitutional
| inaccuraey of statement in connection
with facts which are not of record. His
| capacity for assertion is unlimited. He
has at his command the entire realm
of fancy, imagination and delusion, and
| nothing but the record can establish con-
| clusiyely his infinite variety OF statement.
II assume that he will deny that he
ASSERTED, in the senatorial campaign at
the Bijou theatre on June 1919 that
his recent Investigations have resulted
| ir. conception at the foundation of my
being, favorable to woman suffrage;' or
4 that he asserted at the jefferson theatre
on November Is, 1913, that he supported
the Jackson amendment to- the campaign
publicity BILL whereas the record (ApriI
IA, 1911, Congressional Record, page 26e)
| shows that Mr. Hobson did not vote Mr..
cation, except Captain Hobson, voting
against that republican amendment.
suppose he has continued TO leave the
people under the impression that when
this campaign publicity bill went over to
| the Senate and came back with certain
amendments, he supported it and that
Mr.. Underwood opposed the bill. The
fact is that every member of the Ala
hama delegation including Mr.. Under
wood, voted for the bill. which is now
law C37 Stat. L. 25-36D except r. p. Hob
son, who, as usual, was absent and not
voting. That is the record. Now, what
does Captain Hobson have to say in re-
Spouse to the charge which we now
mako that his assertion at the Jeffer-
son theatre was a deliberate misrepre-
sents ton, both as to his attitude and
vote on the question of the publicity of
| campaign funds Congressional Record
| Vol. AZ, p. 4102)?
The Appalachian Reserve
will Captain Hobson deny that he as
serted in the Jefferson theatre on No
vember Is, 1918, that Mr.. Underwood
| voted against the proposition to establish
the great Appalachian reserves. voted
for it,? In March, 1909. when the Senate
bill came up, Mr.. Underwood stated on
the floor of the House and In the pres
ence of Captain Hobson March l. 1902
Record, p. 3641D, that he had always been
in favor of what is known as the south
ern Appalachian mountain reserve, but
that he was opposed to the pending BILL
for the reason that while it vas a bill
nominally to.acquire forests in the SOUTH
ern Appalachian and White mountains in
| reality it created a rowing commission,
giving the members, to be appointed by
a republican President, unchecked author
ity to eXpend $10000,000 anywhere in the
United States, without restriction by Con-
gress or any other person. and that he
opposed the bill for that reason. Captain
Hobson was present and heard those re-
marks. The democrats were divided on
that bill aud although Captain Hobson
voted for the bill, and it PASSED the
House, it failed to become a law After
the failure of the bill, the Weeks bill
III. r. 1889, different bill for the same
general purpose, was introduced, passed
by the House and became law (36 Stat
L.. 96D. Mr.. Underwood's remarks on
this bill will be found in the Record Vol
ume 10. p. 94O9). He announced a special
rule for the consideration of the bill and
voted for the rule to allow immediate
consideration; but r. p. Hobson, as us
ual, was absent and not voting (Record,
p. 1920. On the final passage OF the
bill Mr.. Underwood was present and
paired. Mr.. Hobson being absent, not
voting and impaired. His dead pair,
Republican Fairchild of New York, was
also absent and not voting. This is the
passionate support which CAPTAIN Hob
son gave the Appalachian reserve. Let
the captain explain whether the state
ment that Mr.. Underwood opposed the
principle of Appalachian reserves and
that he voted for the BILL is duplicity,
or .mendacty, or both, plus 'perversity
The Congressional Record on these mat
ters and the stenographic report of Cap
tain Hobsons speech are in my office
and may be examined by any reputa BILE
citizen.
Will Leave 1t to People
"Our committee has gathered a number
OF instances of this sort of characteristic
Misrepresentation by Captain Hobson,
and will publish the record on him and
leave it to the people whether or not
he is guilty as charged.
las for Mr.. Walter Sessions, | have
only one question. Was Mr.. Sessions on
the platform at the Jefferson theatre on
November 49, 1918, when Captain Hobson
stated that Mr.. Underwood had really
| not favored the Webb bill? If he was.
want Mr.. Sessions to state to the people
if he did not know, of his own personal