Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-07

ARE THE PEOPLES RIGHTS ovERRIDDEN
 BY CORRUPTION OF THE LOBBY.
 To the Age Herald
 The recent scandal in the legislature, wherein sworn officers of the state-and in congruous as it may appear, at the same time attorneys for railroads-forgot their sworn fealty to the state and threw aside their duties as legislative protectors of the state, ,and not only voted, but worked like paid lobbyists for the passage of bill that was most hurtful to the interest of large section of our state, is an object les son well worth the most serious considera- tion. Conservative men think that at no time since 1874 has the business interest of the state been in so much danger. The incontiuent greed of the politician and the railroad has taken the place of the vile swindle of the black republican,, and as In radical days lobbyists infest the capitol and the clInk of money is heard. The white mans party of 1874 swept scallawag and carpetbagger from the face of the state, and with the rectitude of business men cared for the best interest com binations and otherwise, have become the great power in the state--a power so great that, as we have just seen it passed in day the most mischieve- ous legislation; so great that 1t did induce state senate, which had refused after the most mature deliberation the bill helping new industries to the extent of tax exemp- ton for ten years, an encouragement given by other states, 10 pass an instantaneous bill to kill the competition of great trunk line-a line, too, built by the state at an immense cost and for which no adequate returns were ever had.
 Our late governor was railroad lawyer before and after his official term, and not withstandiug that when freed from rail road influence, he did well, and particu- larly his conduct here in the time of riot was splendid. Yet there is no question but what he was in the hands of the rail- roads. Why did he appoint and reappoint men as railroad commissioners who, in the hands of these giant corporations, were as insignificant as Gulliver when cast upon the Brobdingnagian coast and when picked up and held in the Brobdingnag's palm. Their little antics, what they were and what for. were the interesting and anus ing question, and today they are junketing around in the railroads pocket just as de- murely as a possum in a sack. They are kept in office by railroad infiu- ence because 1t was safely known they wre content to draw salaries and &C., cept courtesies. These corporations have eyer reached out their hands to control the judicial ermine, as was witnessed in the ap- pointment of city court judge at Anniston. do not wish to be understood as wishing to inaugurate factious opposition to our railroads in their proper place. Their qualification for good cannot be excelled. But when they go with agents and money into the Hobbies of our legislative halls, when they have paid representatives, mem- bers of our most important committees; when the dominating influence of our leg isature is their paid attorneys, when they attempt to cast with their camera of cer- tain influence the horoscope of our chief executive, and control his present conduct by the ideas and convictions therefrom de- duced, then 1t is high time that the demo- cratic party should look for the haudwrit- ing on the wall. The populists-white men, all of them have been battering your gates for four years. Such conduct. is fearfnlly wearing on party fealty; and never fear that a Dr. Parkhurst will arise to preach that the law of the Caucasian must be made and administered for the good of all and free from bribery and corruption. Respectfully, B. B. CoMER.
 Birmingham, Ala. Feb. 6, 1895.