The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
Alabama Likewise Has Followed the Same Custom Ever Since the Creation eff a Railroad Commission.
Some Comments as to the War Upon the Railroad Interests Being Waged by Certain Wholesale Merchants.
BY j. M. FALKNER.
Mnntrnrnerv. Ala -Inl


 To the People of Alabama:
 In my opinion no greater wrong could be done the people of Alabama than to force the railroads of this state into poli- tics. It would be little less than crime to do 1t. yet this is just what few people are trying to do They are acting on the idea that those who have their money in- vested in railroads. or who are employed by railroad companies, have no rights that anybody is bound tot respect; that A yer a man engages in the railroad
 $ either by investing his money lroad property or by becoming an ,.... .,sye of a railroad company, he ceases to enjoy the rights. privileges, immuni- ties and prerogatives of other citizens, and if assailed either in his person or property, he has no right to defend him self but must stand and take whatever punishment his assailant sees proper to infiict
 The constitution and laws of Alabama, however fail to recognize any such un- just discrimination in class. The proper ty of railroad companies Is as much un- der the protection of the law of the land as any other species of property, and a citizen engaged in the railroad business is entitled to all the rights, privileges and immunities enjoyed by any other cit izen.
 Capital has Been Invited to Alabama
 Under Guarantees Against Con-
 fiscation.
 It has not been many years since Ala bama was but little more than land of desolation. It was bad enough at the close of the war between the Sates, but it was still worse at the end of the recon struction period when the great demo cratic and conservative party, headed by George s. Houston, as governor of Ala bama came into power. It was then that invitations were extended by our party conventions, by every democratic and conservative newspaper, and by our statesmen on the stump. to people and capital throughout the world to come amongst us and help build up the waste places with us, with the guarantee and pledge that all investments made here. and all property built up in this state of any kind whatever, would be under the absolute protection of the law of the land and that there should be no waste, de- struction or confiscation of said property under the guise of taxation, regulation" or otherwise; and that no burdens of any character whatever should be placed on one species of property that was not equally borne by every other species of property.
 Declaration of War on Railroads at
 Birmingham Meetings of May 12
 and June 27, 1902.
 On May 12 1902. at meeting held in Birmingham, presided over by w. II. Tayloe as chairman. and G. T. McEldery secretary, among other things, the fol- lowing resolutions were adopted:
 Resolved, That 1t is the purpose of this meeting of delegates from cities ot Alabama now in convention assembled, to use all fair means to secure the cleo tion at the coming democratic primaries, of candidates for the legislature who are favorable to the enactment of a law se- curing a railroad commission elected by the people and paid by the state, and the enactment by the legislature of such laws as will give 1t power to regulate and ad- just the charges levied by common car riers
 Second That a committe of seventeen be appionted to carry out the provisions of the foregoing resolution, with power to appoint campaign committee, and to take other such steps as may be necessa- ry to accomplish the object of this meet ing.
 Afterwards the following appeared in the Birmingham Evening News of June 2s, 1902:
 BUSINESS MEN ON FIRING LINE. Make Railroad Commission Issue in
 County Campaign.
 CREATE < COMMITTEE. Make Demand Pledges from candi-
 dates for the Legislature.
 '.The election of a railroad commission by the people of Alabama, to be paid by the state and the passage of a law by the general assembly giving the commis- sion the power to regulate local freight rates. is to be a distinct and aggressive feature of the forthcoming campaign in Jefferson county, and in many of the other counties of the state.
 Business Mems Meeting.
 "Yesterday afternoon a meeting of bus iness men. most of whom were members either of the wholesale grocers associa- tion or the board of trade, was held in the hall of the two bodies. in the Tomlin- son Building.
 ..The meeting was a sequal to that held at the Morris hotel in the afternoon of May 12th, at which Chancellor Tayloe, of Union Springs, presided. and at which it was determined to make a concerted fight in the counties of the state on this issue The resolutions adopted at that meeting have been published in the News.
 State Chairman Talks.
 MT. H. H. Sinnige presided at the meeting yesterday afternoon. which was addressed by Hon. Frank s. White. who has accepted the chairmanship of the campaign committee of the state organi- xation of business men effected by the meeting at tn Morris hotel
 Captain Whites remarks were of an advisory nature.
 The Campaign Comlttee.
 "A resolution was adopted creating
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