Birmingham age-herald., 1894-11-03
Highest of all in Leavening Power-Lae U. S. Govt Report R|H:aI! H:! Rs%asgl! BRakii2g
 ABSOLUTELY PURE
ABSOLUTELY PURE

as soon as the federal government owned them they would be immediately taken
 from the tax list. Every one comedies that you cannot impose tax upon property To-
 cated in the state of Alabama belonging to the federal government. This would result In your having to abol- -ish your splendid school sys.
 tenn, the pride of Alabamians, or the
 deDcit caused by removing the railroads from the tax list would have to be made good by increasing the taxes upon the property of the individual citizen. About this result there can be no controversy. This is not all. Under the practical opera tion of this system of government the citi- zens of Alabama would lose another inn portant Tight, one that have learned from personal experience they value above all other rights, namely, the right to employ counsel and sue railroads. If the federal government owned the railroads you could not sue them. You cannot sue the federal government. The railroads would be oper. ated by federal superintendents and em. ployes appointed by the authorities at Washington, and would therefore have but little respect for public opinion or public sentiment. h the discharge of their duties they could be discourteous to your wife and daughters, and even you, and you would be without any remedy. You know, as railroads are at present operated, the oW ners of the property require their offi- cials and employees to be careful not to of- fend public opinion, but so discharge their duties as to secure it's approval. But, If these federal employees should negligently, in the operation of the railroads. in- jure your property or kill some one of your family or your cattle, you would be without remedy in the courts of Alabama. Such condition of affairs would deprive some of my learned brethren
 of large proportion of their practice, and you would be compelled to send your claim to Washington to the court of claims, and in the course of a century your great grand children would be informed that the claim had been disallowed.
 On the other hand, let us see the demo-
 cratic theory of administering the govern ment in respect to these matters. The democrats hold that the state of Alabama, created out of the precious blood and treas- ure of our fathers, has control of all cor
 porations operating railroads within her great borders. We hold that no other
 power can create a corporation and confer upon 1t the right to do business in this state, except upon such conditions as Ala
 bama in her sovereign will may pre- scribe. She and she alone can create cor porations and confer upon them the right of eminent domain inside of her own terri tory. Under our system her courts have jurisdiction over all the railroads loeated within thes1fes- II Sfts fa ss.ars ak aIn p'S pg5 SSs of any railroad operated in the state rights, iDjure any of your family, killyour stock or damage your property the co urts of Alabama, as presently administered, give you an adequate and complete remedy. Under the present system, if you have cause of complaint against a railroad in this state you can employ your favorite | lawyer, have your suit brought, try your | case before jury of your neigh bors, under instructions from circuit judge elected by l the people of Alabama. This is not all. | The democrats. in administering your state l have created railroad com. mission and have conferred upon 1t the l power and have authorized it in the name | of the great state of Alabama to protect her l citizens from the aggressions and extor. | tions of all railroad corporations. If the 1 populistic theory is adopted and becomes l operative all the great privileges have | enumerated will be lost to the citizens of | Alabama. |
 CONCLUSION.
 In conclusion permit me to beseech you l to employ your common sense and the | wisdom you have learned from experience l when you come to cast your ballot to settle | all these questions. Stand by the demo- | cratic party and its nominees. do not l make this appeal to you simply because It is the democratic party, but make 1t based upon it's past history, the great achievements 1t has secured In the interest of our civilization and the freedom Of the people. In the administration of justice through democratic agencies it has made law what our blessed fathers intended it should bs when they created and put into practical operation our present form of government. Although law is intangible and invisible, yet 1t Is the vigilant sentinel that stands guard over your helpless wife and innocent children while you are ab- sent, toiling to provide for them the neces- saries and comforts of life. h view of all these great results, and for the purpose of perpetuating them, on the morning of the 9th of November go to the polls emanci- pated from all prejudices and influenced alone by what will secure your best inter- ests, the good of your country and the well fare of dependent wife and loving little children. D. L. RUSSELL.