The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-10
WILL MEET THE ISSUE
CAPTAIN FALKNER SAYS RAIL
ROADS WILL FIGHT.
Counsel for the L. q N. Declares the
Carriers win Combat Move to
Have Railroad Commission
ers Elected by People.

On July Ss-t9PcItdL B-Adpldltl
]. NJ. Falkner, counsel for the Louis
vile and Nashville Railroad, stationed at
Montgomery. this morning gave out a
statement on the movement to have the
railroad commission elected and paid by
the people. There is much being done by
the merchants on this issue and a hard
campaign is promised.
Now, understand me-" said Captain
Falkner. Il do not magnify this move
ment, but 1 say to you and the paper
which you represent, which is saying 1t
from the housetop, that the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad is going to fight
this movement with all the weapons that
are recognized as fair in political war;
fare. We come out boldly into the open
field. We know that the issue is with
the people of Alabama and We are not
afraid of their decision. l say from years
Of experience and observation that the
people sf Alabama will always do the
right when they are fully informed"
THE men who are behind this" said
he, have announced that they will exact
pledges from candidates for the Legisla-
ture. The Louisville and Nashville Rail-
road people will put some questions to
these candidates, too
DO l understand that you include en-
ployes I'm this statement
Yes. The great mass of our employees
are as loyal to the interests of the COM
pany as the president himself. They
will be told what this thing means.
This movement is in its incipiency;
ar afbnu q n n fhinox hoo I'm.
assume a new form. The issue has been
thrashed out before the Legislatures and
the constitutional convention and found
to be chaff; now 1t Is to be placed before.
the people, and, as l have already said,
we do not fear the people.
THE claim is made that the election of
the commission by the people will re-
move the commission from the sphere of
political influence. The contrary is the
truth. The commission will then be the
goal of every demagogue who can shout.
AT present the commission is nominated
by the governor and confirmed by the
Senate. Is 1t not fair to say. then. that
the people, through their representatives,
select the commission?
Another charge is that the commission
has no powers. say deliberately that
it has power enough to bankrupt every
railroad in Alabama In six months. The
people do not understand that nine-tenths
of the cases which come before the COM
mission relate to Interstate Commerce,
and of course no State commission can
have power to regulate such cases. Com
plants appear before the commission,
and when II is explained to them that
the commission has no authority to regu-
late Interstate Commerce. they jump at
the idea that the commission can do
nothing.
II am free to say that the leaders in
this movement are 'soreheads.' They do
not represent the people. These leaders
may not be actuated by hatred toward
the railroads, but they are moved by sell
fishness. Notwithstanding the fact that
the prices Of commodities are higher per-
haps than ever before in the history of
the country freight rates are lower. Sup
pose these rates are reduced further Do
you believe that the consumer will get
the benefit? / think it will go into some
other pockets.
LAS l said before, this movement is in
its incipiency; but of course It will spread
IL the agitation is not met with facts.
The people must have facts to Judge in
diligently and Justly.
IF the movement continues to grow the
railroads of Alabama will be but obey
ing the law of self-defense in linging UP
against it.
''There has been no concert of action
vet by the railroads, but that is inevita-
BILE under the contingency which l have
stated"
Then the Louisville and Nashville is
the first railroad to step in the firing
line?''
well, yes: you may put it that way.
We are not skulkers. We believe that
our interests are threatened at vital
point and we are going to contend msn-
fully for their preservation.
''It Is needless for me to say that the
Louisville and Nashville has always been
the friend of Alabama. We regard
every city, town and hamlet through
which our lines run as in one sense
mart of the system. We want to build
them up in every way we can.
1--WE have proved our friendship fer
Birmingham. In the depression we
fostered her industries. not only by
making a rate which would permit the
movement of her products on the most
economical basis, but in more than one
instance we gave of our money to keep
Birmingham industries going In one in
stance the railroad gave a check for
800 900 to a certain industry; and other
instances might be cited When the city
schools were about to be closed for lack
of funds we paid the full amount of taxes
levied by a law which we knew to be
unconstitutional and which was subse-