The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-16
ROBSON ASSA|LED MIR. BANKHEADFO
 HIS ABSENTEE|SM Disregard of Duty Was Criminal Then," Says
 Forney Johnston
TWENTY-ODD CHARGES TWENTY-ODD CANARDS
Underwood Manager Discusses Cir cular Issued by Brighton HObsOn CIub-Hobson in Birming-
 ham Proper This Week

Forney Johnston, managing the sena- torial campaign of Oscar w. Underwood has discovered that the Brighton Hobson club is distributing a circular containing 1 odd charges against the democratic House leader. and has discovered. also, that Captain Hobson, in his campaign against John H. Bankhead, fearfully as- assailed the character of his opponent on the charge that he had been absent during certain sessions of Congress.
 In regard to the charges preferred against MT. Underwood by the Brighton Hobson club, MT. Johnston says Out of 20-odd assertions, the document con tains 20-odd campaign canards of indif;er- ent imaginative merit" In commenting on Hobson's attack against Bankhead or the ground that Bankhead had been ab- sent from certain roll calls, MT. John ston declares that during the past year, in which Congress has been in almost con tinuous session, MT. Hobson has been in Washington but % days.
 MT. Hobson will be in Birmingham ,o- night. This week he will spend speak ing in the city and in making short eX- ourslons { ocertain sections of his own district.
 Mr. Johnstons card follows
 The Brighton Circular
 "A circular containing 70 or 30 charges against Mir Underwood is being distrib- uted in Jefferson county by the Hobson clubs.
 ''On a number of the votes complained Of, Hobson voted exactly as MT. Under wood voted. but, of course, in the ma jority of the instances, Hobson was ab- sent or not voting, and a careful check ing of the record discloses the usual fact that the charges are utterly false. both as to the question involved and as to MT Underwood's attitude.
 These discoveries were doubtless made by Hobson's republican secretary, Monette. Ii is not surprising that he can not appreciate the attitude of a dem- ocrat
 These charges are vouched for by the officials of the Brighton Hobson club, consisting largely of socialists and others not qualified to vote in a democratic prl- mary.
 "Of course. none of these amiable Hob sonites knows anything about the state ments they vouch for. but if they will come by headquarters we will show chem the record which was mutilated and mis-
  charges and that out of some 2o-odd as sertions. the document contains aD-odt campaign canards of indifferent imagina tive merit.
 Was Bankhead Absent?
 By referring to the press accounts oi the debates between Hobson and Bank. head we find that Captain Hobson at tackled Colonel Bankhead unsparingly fol being away from Washington most of the Fifty-firsts Congress (Carbon Hill March 4, 1soD. He condemned Bankhead in bitter terms for absenting himself from Washington and neglecting his duties (Eutaw March 17, 190D.
 That was one of the crimes of whicf he says he convicted Colonel Bankhead Yet during the past two sessions of Con- gress, Hobson's absences have doubled and trebled the accumulated absences of the entire Alabama delegation and exceed by many times the absences of Colonel Bankhead, which Hotson stigmatized as criminal and inexcusable.
 HobsOn Is Absent
 "Hobson has been in Washingtcn 2, days out of the past year in which Con- gress has been in practically continuous session. He became a candidate for ths Senate in June, 1912. nearly two years ago and he has made more speeches in pur- suit of that nomination and done moro work for himself during that time thar he has performed in the public interest during the entire seven years he has beer a congressman. He has drawn his salary in violation of a federal statute and W;-s no more entitled to receive it than Lacy was entitled to the money for which he has just been sentenced to the penten' tiary. If Colonel Bandhead's absences were crimes, what designation can be ap 1fo1 |, ,f,,fg faf 1Npf,I l..