The log cabin Democrat., 1916-02-02
HODGES IS HEARD
 BY LARGE CROWD
ANSWERS MANY CHARGES
COLLOQUY BETWEEN CANDI- DATE AND COL. BRUCE
 FEATURES MEETING.

oi otdue EdFle W
 Hodges delivered his first campaign speech Tn Faulkner county last night before one of the largest audiences ever assembled in the courthouse.
 Despite the extremely cold weather, every seat in the circuit court room
 was occupied and nearly 100 people | stood in the aisles and corridors
 throughout the speaking. Mr. Hodg les address was principally defense or charges brought against him by his opponent and an attack on the plat form of Dr. c. H. Brough. His own platform, the speaker said, could be stated in 30 seconds, and consisted only Of pledge to give the people safe, fair, conservative and economic al administration
 MT. Hodges was introduced by County Judge J. w. Holt, who paid a high tribute to him as an Arkansas toy,' and said that he had little doubt that he would be the next governor of the state
 A feature of the speaking was Icolloquy at the conclusion of Mr. Hodges speech between him and Col. U. W. Bruce, Brough supporter, of this city. Col Bruce interrogated the speaker regarding several charges brought against him by his opponents, which he said MT. Hodges had failed to explain in his speech. Mir Hodges f., dirty little lie that is being told about me-, but he explicitly replied to all Of Col. Bruce's questions and his ans wers were apparently very satisfac- tory to the audience. The most inn portant of the questions propounded by Col Bruce related to two cases of theft of law books from the state, of which Hodges as secretary of state was custodian. In one case, Mir. Hodges said he had traced the crim- lnal, secured positive evidence against him and had gone before the grand jury and had him indicted, even when the thief had threatened his life for doing so. In the other case, Mir.
 Hodges explained that the person in
 question had purchased one set of
 supreme court reports and stolen a second set, afterwards disposing of both sets to innocent purchasers. As the books were exactly alike, he said | it was impossible to determine which
 was stolen and which lawfully obtain | ed, and on the advice of the attorney
 general he had made no effort to re-
 cover the books from their present
 owners, one of whom is Maud Duna-
 way and the other Col T. NJ. Me
 haffy.
 The crowd loudly applauded Mr.
 Hodges, who admirably took care of
 himself under Col. Bruce's severe grilling.
 The speaker defended himself
 against charges of Dr. Brough that he was a machine candidate by stating that he made no pledges or
 promises to any member of the so- called machine" and that he was re- lying solely upon the support of the common people for his election. He charged, however, that the Robinson machine was bending every energy to elect Dr. Brough and that Dr. Brough admits that he entered into coali- tion with Governor Hays and retired
 from the race when Hays first be- came candidate in order to secure the governors support in the present race
 Mir. Hodges attacked Dr. Brough's plan of a special millage tax for the support of the university and other state institutions and for a bond issue to retire the state debt, which he declared was unnecessary and would mean increased taxes. He said that Dr. Brough was receiving the support of the liquor interests, as was shown by the fact that the paid attorney of the liquor men was man aging his campaign at Little Rock, while one of only two senators who voted against statewide prohibition was in charge of the Brough head quarters at Fort Smith. He assailed his opponent for neglecting to men tion the ex-Confederates in his ad- dress and also rdiculed a speech which he said Dr. Brough had de- llivered before an audience of 1900 negroes at Washington, in which the declaration was made that the south ern white man had been treating the negro unfairly.
 The remainder of the address was largely along the lines of the printed
 speech of Mr. Hodges. He did not mention his opponent, Judge l.. c.
 Smith until his tilt with Col Bruce
 and he then said that he did not con-
 slider Judge Smith as real opponent.
 Judge Smith is like man riding in a Ford automobile" he said, "He just