The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03

great mass of people in the state Of Ala bama are benefited, no town, however large 1t may be. can possibly have any just cause of complaint.
 Railroads Not in Politics and Desire to
 Keep Out of Politics.
 It has also been charged by these men, for what purpose I know not, that the Louisville and Nashville railroad com pany is supporting one or the other can ddates for governor. In some places it is charged that It Is supporting one and in other places 1t is charged that 1t Is supporting the other. These charges have no foundation in fact, and only exist in the imagination of the men who make the charges. The L & N. R. R. Go. is not in politics. It is not interested in any mans candidacy. It is only interested in good government, and will not be in pol itics, except for it's own protection. It is immaterial to the L. & N. R. R. who holds the offices, provided the law is properly administered, and protection is given to property rights in the state. Not only the L. & N. R. R., but every other railroad in the state Is here upon the invitation of the people of Alabama and instead of tearing down, will do more to build up any city, town or community than such city, town or community will do for itself. But the railroads will not undertake to build up any city. town or community at the expense of another. AVowed Purpose to Make War on Rail-
 roads Declared.
 It will be seen from the foregoing that long before any utterances made by my self or anybody else representing the railroads, the declaration was made with glaring headlines that the business men were on the firing line," and the question may well be asked What right have these business men to be on the firing line, in these days of peace? But their deelara- tion discloses that their purpose Is to fire on the men who are operating the railroads In this State-men who are cit- izens of Alabama, and others who have invested their money on the invitation and pledges of the Democratic and Con- servative party of Alabama, and who have done more in developing Alabama, and adding to her taxable values than all other men and instrumentallties com bined.
 Only Plank In Platform of This New
 PoIiticaI Party.
 It will also be seen from the articles in question that these men say there is to be but one issue before the people," and they will not vote for any man for the Legislature who does not pledge himself to support a measure which proposes to change the method of electing the Rail- road Commissioners, and to vote for a bill which will give the commission man datory powers to regulate local freight rates" They also announced at their meetings that they would be "equipped with the sinews of war" That is that they will have an ample campaign fund. They further state tour participation in the county campaigns will be confined to this one thing"
 It will he rapapm herad that fboae ~au- tlemen have appointed "campaign com mittee," of which Mr. White is chairman, with numerous men selected from differ ent parts cd the State as his associates. Thus 1t will be seen that while these were political meetings, they did not pur- port to be meetings of Democrats, as the Democratic party is already equipped with campaign eommittees-State, Con- gressional and County-and an issue not rendered by the Democratic party Is to be made an issue by them in this cam paign.
 But why this unfriendly attitude on the part of these gentlemen towards the rail- roads, which have so materially aided In the development of the country, and giv- en an increased value to every inch of land and to every other species of prop erty in the State
 One Who Would Wrong a Railroad
 Would Wrong an Individual.
 
 that would rob a railroad that would not, under like circumstances. rob an indi- vidual? Is 1t not true that the same spir- it that will deny justice to a railroad or other corporation will find way in the end to deny justice to the individual? Can we be honest with each other in our private relations, and at the same time be dishonest towards railroads? Is it equal and exact justice to impose bur dens on railroads that no business man would impose upon himself? Is 1t nor ally or legally right to do unto railroads or other corporations that which you would not have done unto you? If it is a good or sound policy to have railroads, 1t Is right to have one rule for them and another rule for every other species of property?
 Fundamental PrinclpaI of Democracy.
 The fundamental rule of Democracy as defined by Locke and other writers on civil government is to have "One rule for the rich and poor, the favorite at court and the countryman at plow.'
 Can property be safe in any country where men will ignore that spirit of jus tice which is the foundation of all that is just and right? The demagogue who ar rays the people against the public insti- tutions of the country and t, 1ches them to deny to railroads or other corporations equal and exact justice is teacher in a school of corruption" and the result of his work will not be simply to injure the railroads or other public institutions, but will in the end undermine civiliza- ton itself.
 Why Not Arbitrarily Regulate Other
 Industries as We'll as Railroads.
 In the beginning of the creation of railroad commissions the most ardent advocates of such bodies only insisted on the commission having the right to pre- vent extortion or unjust discrimination, and no thought of giving any commits sion the power of arbitrarily regulating freight rates, either local or otherwise, was contemplated. There Is not a mer-