The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-16
HObson Appears on Stage
at Psychological Moment
and Cheers the Speaker
USUAL COLLECTION"
BY REV. LAWRENCE
Former Tennessee Governor in Fine
Form and Delivers Thrilling
Speech Embracing Story of
His Life

E.N-Gov. Malcolm II. Patterson of Ten
nessee, under the auspices of the Ala
bama Anti-saloon league, told in pic
turesaue language at the Biiou theatre
yesterday afternoon the story of his life
the confession of his nefarious practices
of the past, and his declaration of su-
preme happiness in the knowledge that
the power is Gods to cleanse.
a remarkable exhortation to contribute
by the Rev. Brooks Lawrence-this in
preparation for taking up the usual col
ieetion"-and the appearance, as ae-
curately timed as If il had been pre-
arranged. of r. z. Hobson, a candidate
for the Senate. were not unexpected feat
ures.
The audience which greeted the distln-
guished gentleman from Tennessee was
all that the most discriminating could
have desired. Every foot of space was
occupied In addition there was an over
flow which filled--to all practical pur-
poses-the Orpheum theatre, an overflow
which was entertained by another giftee
speaker, and which was not deprived ol
the ineffable pleasure of contributing to
the cause represented by Mr.. Lawrence.
The Usual Collection
When the curtain was raised disclos.
ing to hundreds of people the distln-
guished characters seated upon the stage
Mr. Lawrence stood up, bowed and pre-
pared the horde for what was about tC
come. He notified the people that he had
prepared cards by means of which con-
tributing would be easy. There was space
reserved for the signature and the ad-
dress, and space in which could be in
serted the amount desired by the indi-
vidual to give. The smallest amount re-
quested was 3S 1-3 cents per month, pay
able three months in advance, or a silver
dollar in lump. 1t was also stated
that ON the rear of the card was check
made payable at any bank, which, any
individual not burdened with ready cash,
could fill out-for any amount-and re-
turn the same to headquarters. Clasped
by rubber bands to each card was a pen
ell.
After explaining these details for y
minutes, the collectors. at a given signal,
stood up. The work of gathering in the
harvest was undertaken. When the work
was completed Mr.. Lawrence inclosed the
pelf in satchel previously provided for
this emergency, and donning his overcoat
and hat, retired to repeat his eXhortation
at the Orpheum.
Hobson's Dramatic Entrance
Following the departure of Mr. Law
n
present Governor Patterson. He was
telling the people of the fact that he and
Patterson were born of sisters in the
same house in Alabama at times sepa-
rated by an interval of only little more
than a year; he was telling of how he
had come to Birmingham, and his cousin
had gone to Tennessee, of how his cousin
had entered politics, become county at
torney, congressman and governor; he
was telling these things when on the
wing of the stage, surrounded by two OF
political chieftains, Phil Painter and w.
Fl. Morgan, Captain Hobson, candidate
for the Senate, appeared
And as Judge Weakley was speaking,
Captain Hobson walked across the front
of the stage-just to the rear of Judge
Weakley Just to the fore of Governor
Patterson. There was gasp from the
audience. Hobson continued to walk un-
til he had passed Governor Patterson
And then, as If remembering all of a
sudden, he wheeled quickly and grasped
the hand of the orator of the day.
1t was a pretty incident furnishing a
remarkably fine opportunity for psy-
Geological study of an interesting char
acter There was applause from the
audience The candidate then seated him
self on the front row and generously ap-
plauded telling blows delivered by the
Tennessean, especially those to the eff
feet that the question of states rights
was invoked only by those who desire the
'liquor" vote.
PattersOn's Life Story
Mr.. Patterson opened by damning local
papers with the faint praise of comparing
them in cynical way with the papers
of Tennessee lie was apparently peeved
in that an afternoon paper last week car
ried a dispatch to the effect that he was
i'll, and had given up his Alabama intine-
rary, and that a morning paper had re-
ferred to the fact that one OF the lieu
tenants of Captain Hobson had spoken
following meeting in Huntsville, OF
which Mr.. Patterson had been billed as
the star attraction. He then declared
that his coming to Alabama had no po-
litical significance, that he was working
In the interest of prohibition and as rep
resentative of the Anti-Saloon League OF
America.
He followed this with the story OF
his life.. He was born in Alabama. Ht
was graduated at Vanderbilt, and there,
towards the conclusion of his career as
student, he took his first drink in a
saloon. He returned to Memphis and un-
dertook the practice OF Jaw in the of
flee of his father. He entered politics as
a candidate for prosecuting attorney fol
Shelby county and was elected. He was
next elected to Congress, and served -four
years. There he was shocked to learn
that in the shadow of the capitol We're
places wherein intoxjrants were sold. He
voted for a measup estroying these sa-
looms. He next kecame a candidate for
governor, was elected and was elected
for second term. When he first became
a candidate. he thought that he should
declare himself In regard to the liquor
question. He declared for local option
From that moment. until quite recently
he believed i'm local option. He declared
yesterday that had he been asked Oh
his death bed for the best remedy fol
the evil of liquor dspensation, he would
have said: Local option" .
Mr.. Patterson did not give specific
reasons for his espousal OF the cause
Of prohibition He told that he had