The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-22
RAILROAD COMMISSION.
Chief Engineer Pounds Answers Capt
Frank s. White.

Chief Engineer Pounds Answers Capt.
Frank s. White.
To the Democrats of Alabama:
Capt. Frank S. White has issued to you
an address. which las been published In
the papers of Birmingham, in which he
attacks the railroad companies and Capt.
j. M. Falkner, the district attorney of
the Louisville and Nashville, and in
which he accuses the railroads and Cap
| tain Falkner of "draSoon;ng' the rail-
road employees into doing their behest in
the present political strife.
In justice to the railroad and Captain
Falkner, and in defense of the railroad
employees one of whom 1 am, l think 1t
my duty to answer the address above
referred to-
If Captain White had confined his state
ments to absolute facts, there would be
no need Of any reply to his communica-
tion;- but inasmuch as he has drawn
largely upon his imagination, and made
statements which are without foundation.
and which might be misleading to those
who are unacquainted with the situation,
1t is best that some notice of his COM
munication should be taken.
To one unacquainted with the facts 1t
would appear from his communication
that the Railroad Political clubs are
new institution. and that they have just
been organized for the purpose of con-
Quoting this campaign against his
clients. the wholesale merchants on Nor
ris avenue. assisted by a few outside
parties This Is not the fact, and Captain
White is as well informed on that as any
man In the city of Birmingham.
When he wrote his article he
forgot that the Railroad Political clubs
were organized about four years ago, for
the purpose of looking after the political
| interests of the railroad employees OF this
| state. He forgot also that when he him
| self was candidate for member of the
| late constitutional convention that he
| sought the support of the railroad men
| and the Railroad Political clubs of this
| district, and not only sought their sup
port but received 1t, the said political
| clubs having endorsed him ana SUPPORT
| ed him to man. And he also forgot that
In his campaign for that POSITION ne nad
the honor of making several speeches
to the railroad men. l was, during that
time, president of the Railroad Mems Po-
litical club, and Captain White, being
an intimate friend of mine, exercised all
| tho influence that l had with the polit-
| lcal clubs to secure the support which
he received Hom the m. And furthermore
when the day of election came, II was
my pleasure to send out to the boxes
in this city men TO work ror Captaia
White, and instructed them that II was
county that Captain White should lead
The ticket as member to the consti-
tutional convention. Captain White knows
the result. Can Captain White say now
that the railroad "dragooned" it's en-
ployes to support him? We were Just
IS much dragooned by the railroads in
that political campaign as we have been
in the present campaign. The railroads
In none of these elections and campaigns
have ever attempted in any way to in
terfere with the free action of employees
In regard to a,,y political matters. What
they require of us is good service in the
several occupations in which We are en-
ployed, and what we require Of them is
prompt payment of our wages and fair
salaries in or Ter that we and our families
may live.
Captain White has made direct attack
upon me. though he did not call my name
In that part of his address In which he
speaks of the ''peripatetic teachers of
the railroad companies, stating that the
patronage of railroad employees would be
instantly withdrawn suppose from the
Morris avenue. wholesale men-and that
rival stores would be established. to be
conducted under the auspices of the rail-
road company, with ample capital and
discriminating rates in their favor Cap
tain White has not stated correctly wat
I said on this subject die not saw that
any establishment of this kind would he
conducted under the auspices of any
railroad company with discriminating
rates in its favor, but In speaking to Mr.
McCary In regard to the matter | did
state, on my own personal responsibility
and as chief engineer. Division No. 1855
of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
that II Morris avenue should succeed in
this campaign, which | very much doubt
ed, and that in consequence of It the
railroad employees were injured by It. that
then l would get the railroad employees
together and establish a store which
would put the Morris avenue crowd to
blowing by obtaining from the railroad
men the pledge to deal with their own
store. This was not Inspired by Captain
Falkner or by the railroads. but It was
my own individual suggestion and | will
state to Captain White that If he does
succeed In his unholy undertaking that |
shall do my best as an Individual to
carry out the assertion made to Mr. Nc
Cary, as l believe that II would be a
benefit to the employees of the railroad
and would, in a measure, relieve them
from any injury which they might receive
by reason of Captain Whites fight for the
Morris avenue crowd in case they should
be successful.
Captain White knows that for years
past have been his personal and political
friend He knows that I have thrown
my influence In his behalf at times even
when he did not call on me for it. He
knows that ! have sent to his office IT.
igation and law business. which he has
conducted successfully thereby benefit
ting himself and he knows further that
even now am his personal friend, though
differ in these political matters. and
it seems a little strange to me that under
these conditions Captain White should so
far forget himself as to attack me in an
uRderhand way, as he has done In his ar
ticle. II we take his article as a fair
sample Of the man. whatever may be his
other virtues-and of these he has many
1t is very certain that the virtue of graf
itude is not wrapt up in his composition
T. s. POUND,
Chief Engineer Division 1856 Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers. -