The age-herald., 1899-09-19

to plea of infancy or lunacy on the part of the legislature. It is equivalent to say ing to the people: We are incapable of discharging the duties imposed upon us by the constitution of the state; we are not wise enough to pass the necessary laws for the government of our people, and, there fore, we will delegate this power and au- thorty to some man or set of men wiser and more competent than we are
 Captain Falkner further stated:
 "There is no complaint in any other por- tion of the state of Alabama. The rail- roads and the people are on the very best of terms; this is especially true as regards the relations between the railroads and practically all the merchants and other patrons of the railroads throughout the state. I know personally that the Louis- vile and Nashville railroad is friend or the people along its lines, and that It's patrons, as a rule, appreciate 1t as their friend. I believe this is largely true or every other railroad in the state or Ala bama.
 "From current reports, Birmingham is oniovine an era of unprecedented business prosperity, and while Birmingham owes more to the railroads of Alabama thah any other portion of the state, the business interests of that city and district naVlns reaped greater benefits from the raliroaos than perhaps any other community or the state. it would seem that it remains TOT her neople in the hour of their greatest nrosperity. to advocate a policy towards the railroads which is manifesuy unJuSt and unfair. contrary to democratic teach ings. and which ought not to find place in a republican form of government
 "The railroads have made 1t possible TOT Birmin2ham to become a great city. They have carried the industries of the mineral dist:tct without profit, and many times at a direct loss, the object being to save them' in times of depression, from absolute an initiation Without such aid from the railroads, 1t is common knowledge that many of the mammoth industries now fiourisning in that district would have gone to the wall.
 '~The railroads have opened markets Tor the products of that district. The railroads came to the relief of Birmingham when her schools were about to be closed, thus making it possible for the schools to be continued throughout the term.
 ''There is another feature of this matter which some of the good people of Bir- mingham do not seem to realize The vast army of employees of these railroads, in order to enable them to keep going, have been working at reduced rates of wages for five years past They did 1t cheerfuily and willingly, knowing that a reduction or wages was an absolute necessity in order to keep these arteries of commerce moving and to keep them out of the hands of re- ceivelrs. Only on January last were these wages finally restored on some of the lines. These employees are not likely to sit ddiy by and allow the commercial bodies or Birmingham or any other place to bring about a reduction of their wages and sal aries by vicious and oppressive legislation or otherwise. These men know very well that if the railroads are oppressed and pre- vented from earning a reasonable profit upon the capital invested 1t means their salaries and wages must, of necessity, be reduced or the properties will be forced into the hands of receivers as was the case in Georgia when the law which is suggested as a model for Alabama was enacted.
 "Is it fact that the railroad commits sion law of Georgia is satisfactory to both the railroads and the people, as has been asserted? It is a well known fact that for long time the Central Railroad and Bank ing company, of Georgia, was the pride of the people of that state. Under the bene- ficent @ operation of the Georgia railroad commission law, however, that magnificent railroad property passed entirely out of the control of the people of that state, and that great institution, which was doing so much toward the development of the re- sources of that great state, has long since passed through the hands of receivers, and into the hands of other people, And, through the operation of this law, prac- tically all other railroads in that state have gone through the same trying ordeal.
 Tt is a fact that cannot be successfully denied that, notwithstanding the most wonderful and fearful powers ever intrust- ed to any three men in the south were given to the Georgia railroad commission by the act creating that commission, yet at every session of the legislature since that time these commissioners have ap- peared before that body clamoring for more power and still more power.
 History shows that wherever eXtraor- dinary power has been given, no matter how given or to whom, there is never q failure to attempt to exercise it, however arbitrary and unreasonable it may be-
 "The commercial bodies of Birmingham have not attempted to show that there is any unjust discrimination extortlon, or any other abuse, on the part of the ra.l- roads, as against Birmingham. No com plaint has been filed with the railroad com mission of Alabama; but, in general terms, they denounce and condemn the railroad commission and the railroads, without dis elimination and this at a time when the volume of their business is unprecedented, and their profits are greater than at any other time within the history of the city, the boom days not excepted.
 May we not infer from all this that the action of these commercial bodies is not the result of any real grievance. but that, being intoxicated with the wonderful pros perity which they are now enjoying, under this imaginary oppression of the railroads, their real purpose is to secure power by