The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-20

tained in Section 17, and Wl1l oEty - substitute when the time c3me1 ' have never yet recognized that there waa c pass evil am oppossd t3 Sof- porations to such an extent tha. favor getting the lowest freight rates fn4t we can command, and I am also in la yor of the best transportation for our- selves that we can get, (applause). but do ask this Convention to think ok what they are called upon to vote for now, and to meet the proposition fairly If it corrupts me 1t will corrupt the Governor of your State, 1t will corrupt the Auditor and the Treasurer, who passes upon the valuation of every doi- lars' worth of railroad property in tke State of Alabama. It will corrupt the man although he be an humble citizen and not an official, for he may sit on the jury ten years afterwards and be Influenced by this hullaball3o pass evil that we now heaT discuss,d all over this State. (Applause.)
 Now, MT. President and ge1tlems Of the Convention, want this thing Soted down because 1t Is wrong in principle. There is a natural enmlty and jealousy between men, and I believe some local jealousy existing right here in the city of Montgomery, Is causing this howl all over the Stdte dDOut tHe pacs eNlf. believe that like 8 countryman believes in preaching-I believe in 1t from book to book. (Applause.)
 Now this propostion Is wrong. If you are going to make man who runs for office in the Legislature from North Alabama who gets $4 a day for hie work, either pay his railroad fare or walk, while you allow all the big fkes in the State to ride on railroad passes. and many of them in private oars from here to New York and Buffalo, make them walk along with us. Put us ail on an equality. That is Democracy You have no more right to take away from the railroads the right to give me a free pass than you have the right to take away from Dave lFeming tho right of furnishing me a free meal. Now that Is honest. you know 1t ts honest, and you cannot justly advocate a measure which is proposed by this Committee. You may adopt 1t by forco and power, but you do that which is wrong and you know that when you do 1t. Tho Supreme Court of our land has said that railroad corporations are but persons in the eyes of the law. You allow hackmen to give free rides, and you allow every other influence and lobbyist to come here and represent in- terests, and you deny the right in the fundamental law of the State that the agents and managers of e corporation cannot control 1t as they see ft. never would cast another vote In my life if considered that the people of this State were so corrupt that they were influenced by 8 little ticket that saves probably 2 or cents Q mile. A man that Is that corrupt can be bought for dollar in cash, or he can be bought with drink of cheap whiskey,
 Now I want to tell you that the peo- pie of Alabama are not clamoring against this great pass evil that you gentlemen advocate. It is not an Upris- ing of the people, and while the peti- tions have come into this Convention that would take i've hours to read, with list of names probably long enough to reach from here to Wetump- ka, yet those petitions were gotten up and sent here. and 1 can so around and get up a petition signed by 10000 men throughout the State of Alabama to hang every member of this Convention ((applause), and we will be lucky if on going home the people do not under take to do such a thing. You know that you can get a petition for almost anything. The people have not advo- cated this measure. When something was said that the representatives of pa- pers should not have free passes, there was such howl went up that 1t shook our State from the Tennessee River to the Gulf. Is a man merely because he sits in his office and calls himself we, the people," any better than a member of the egslature. You know that he is not. Two-thirds of this distinguish ed Committee on Corporations that ad- vocates this measure, probably, are railroad lawyers, willing to make me walk but providing that they shall ride, (applause), that is their report. That is exactly what 1t means. I probably would have been with them myself on compromise. If had been a railroad lawyer. But I cannot hope for any, thing in this respect for am not iearn- ed in the law, but I have some tudg. ment and I tell you, gentlemen. that this thing is obnoxious on its face. It is wrong and should not be passed, but if you do pass 1t, vote down these amendments and the original Section and let me offer my substitute. which puts every man in the State of Alabama who is not an actual employe of the railroad on the same footing. It pro- vides for Methodist preachers paying q full fare of cents a mile, and Baptist div ines also. (Laughter.) Go to that extent if you want to do 1t. If this Is right you have got as much right to say to the L. and N. Railroad That they shall not extend privileges of rate of 1-2 cents a mile to ministers. If this is adopted you cannot hold a Legislature, because one-half of them are preachers, and you know 1t.
 I tell you. gentlemen, that you should think we'll of this. We are drawing to the close of this session, after sitting hero much longer thar we should. and do not want to put a Section in the Constitution that the people do not want, and which is wrong in principle. It Is wrong in principle. you know 1t is wrong. and tell you that if you are going to apply it to one let us make It apply to all.
 MT. Opp-Mr. President. the argu- ments of the distinguished gentlemen from Dallas and Mobile are unanswer- able, because they were inaudible. (Laugh.e;.) It was not my good for tune to hear what those distinguished gentlemen said but knowing the high character and conspicuous ability of those gentlemen I naturally infer what ever they did say was good did hear. Mir. President, distinctly, what the gentleman from Walkekr had to say. He is always exceedingly audible Qaughter). and I gathered from from what he said that the word free pass' his trained ear as the word "Mobile'' Qaughter). which he eulogized in such a pathetic and swee. manner the other da.:.
 Now, agree heartily with much that