The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-22


 ent incumbent, who is a candidate for e-election, I have no word of crit icism. I have naught to say of his private life. He has been my personal friend, but it is my duty to discuss his public record as a public official, and I shall take off my gloves to han dle that record.
 You have been told that you are to hear announced tonight what is the issue in this campaign. This war has so overshadowed everything else, and our relation to this war has become so important, that there is today only one issue. and that is loyalty.
 For this particular district and for this particular campaign, there is one issue. and that issue is George Hud- dleston.
 q did not make this issue. I Lld not bring it into this campaign. He made the issue during his two terms as congressman from this district.
 ''The eyes of all Alabama are upon us in this fight Go where you please in this state, and the question is asked, What is the matter with Birmingham? Why do they keep in Congress at lhis time man whose loyalty, man who has tc defend his loyalty? Every pa triot from this district is called upon 10 explain, and at this hour of our country's peril no explanation should be necessary.
 If Huddleston should be reelected what would be the effect in this coun- try? What would he the effect when the returns were read in the Reioh- stag at Berlin?
 'Every public official makes a rec ord, and by that record he must stand or he must fall. Elected as a demo- crat from democratic district. the first vote cast by MT. Huddleston was on question of the House rules. The democrats controlled the House. Mir Mann, the republican leader, made a motion affecting the rules On this motion the republicans voted 194 yeas. the democrats 209 nays, and the first vote of your representative was with the republicans.
 Today, when your boys are fight ing for humanity and liberty on for eign soil, standing shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers of Britain and the soldiers of France, our government determined that they would suspend the usual custom of this country and permit our heroes to receive foreign decorations at the hands of France and our other allies, but our repre- sentative was not in accord with this sentiment. and got his remarks ex- tended in the Congressional Record. calling the decorations of soldiers for great personal courage. 'snobbishness rampant Your boy is just waiting for an opportunity to distinguish him self. There is not an American sol dier on the fields of France who Is not potentially a hero All that he wants is the opportunity. Yet when that opportunity comes, and he writes his name imperishably upon the scroll of fame. and our great ally, France, would bestow on those the French cross of war. or some other mark of distinction. which the soldier will cher- ish in his family for generations s. Hud- dleston denounces 1t as 'snobbishness rampant
 WAR RECORD
 But these things are beside the mark, The main question at stake in which the people are interested. is Huddleston's war record. didn't get this war record from any newspaper or from any press report, I read it fom his own campaign speeches published on public stationery, printed in the Congressional Record.