The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-21
CAPT. FRANK S. WHITES
ADDRESS TO DEMOCRATS

10 the Democrats of Alabama;
When the. people of this state expressed
a desire to have railroad commission
elected by direct vote of the people,
and have 1t given such powers as
would enable It to prevent extortion and
unjust discrimination by common carriers
on shipments within the state, the louis
vile and Nashville Railroad company,
through its special herald and general at
torney, warned them by proclamation to
desist from asserting this we'll known
and long established right, and to dis
perse and cease agitating that issue, on
pain of being met on the political firing
line by the embattled hosts of its en-
ployes, armed with all the weapons
recognized as fair in political contention"
under the immediate command Of its at
torney aforesaid To over-awe and fright
en- the people into submission they were
threatened with the combined power and
wealth of all the railroads In the state.
In reading this riot act to them, they
were given understand that their poll
teal humiliation would be made COM
plete If they did not Immediately and
Internationally submit to the political
domination OF this railroad company.
Many treated this Illumination as an idle
boast as they could not conceive how
the sovereign people of a great state
could be thus threatened and challenged
by creature whose existence and hab-
itation in the state was only made pos
sible by their grace.
A Deluslon Dlspelled.
This optimistic view was strengthened
by language used in a later and some
what enlarged edict Issued by the same
road, proclaimed by the same herald.
It appeared on pages six and eight of
the Birmingham Age-Herald, of the third
instant in which 1t was said that no
greater wrong could be done the people
of Alabama than to force the railroads
into politics; that 1t would be little less
than crime" This pleasant delusion, how
ever, has been dispelled by the stirring
events of the last few days. Railroad
political clubs are being formed. Railroad
political headquarters have been opened
In this city, and the flag of this railroad,
with the coat-of-arms of ]. Pierpont Nor
gan emblazoned upon 1t. has been I'M
furled in our midst and defantly flounced
in the face of the people. This firing
line" with which they were warned, has
indeed been formed The defiant threat
of the political destruction of the people
is being put into execution; the crime
of putting the railroads of Alabama into
politics has been committed. The Issue
as to whether the railroads or the people
shall control the political destiny of the
state has been squarely made and sharply
drawn by the position of this railroad,
first by threatening. then by bringing on
the fight. And for what cause are the
people forced into this unnatural and un-
necessary war? For naught save that
they asked the poor privilege of SUBMIT
ing their cause to a democratic primary.
Was It Crime.
Was this a crime? Did 1t furnish suf
ficient cause to Justify this railroad or
ganizlng and hurting its employees against
tnemf Was 1t an excuse for its using its
immense corporate wealth, drawing from
the people by its unjust freight rates, In
attempting to debauch and corrupt the
politics OF Alabama? Can 1t be charged
to the people who made modest request
of the democratic electorate to give them
real tribunal before which they could
submit their grievances, when for TWEEN
ty years their appeals have not even
disturbed, much less aroused from their
death-like slumber, these appointed COM
missioners, whose official positions have
become as current in the payment of
gubernatorial debts as the coin of the
REIN? Or, Is 1t this railroad company
that has reparted entirely from the pur-
poses of its creation, that of operating
railroads, and plunging headlong into
politics, attempting to wrench from the
people their right to administer the
government of the state?
Railroads Defiant.
What have the people done to anger
this lion, and cause him to spring into
their political pathway and dispute with
them their right to pass? 1t may be that
their long indifference to his encroaoh-
ments upon their prerogatives. their long
sleep under the Supplying effects of his
poisonous breath has emboldened him
as to make him resent the least manifes-
tation Of returning political conscious
ness and life? Or it may be mat he has
fed and fattened so long with impunity
upon the sweat of the farmer, the toll
of the merchant, that he has grown i'm
perious in his bearing, and is impatient
when they ask for a tribunal to stand
between his ever-increasing greed and
their earnings, commission of their
direct choice, empowered to check the
demands OF his Unsuitable appetite?
Railroads In Politics.
Captain Falkner says that It would be
little less than crime TO force the rail-
roads Of Alabama into politics. He
ought to know. He has had them in
for years When were they out? He
and his railroad were prominently in
politics in Alabama fighting the national
democratic ticket in 1896. Who forced
them In then? What did they do to so
impress upon his mind the idea that 1t
was such a grievous wrong to the peo-
pie and such a crime for them to be in
politics? Possibly when this truthful
but damaging statement escaped his lips
he was contemplating the anarchy and
bloodshed In Kentucky, when Gobel, the
democratic governor ELECT. was assassi-
mated. and when anarchy ran rampant
all over the state. for all of which Mr..
Watterson in the Courier-Journal. said
the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
company cooperating with the repubn-
can party. was responsible. Kentucky
the commonwealth that gave birth and
life to this railroad company. reeling and
bleeding at the hands of her unnatural
off-springl Poor Kentucky. poor Ala
bama, poor Ireland!" When we contem-
plate this darkest chapter in the polit-
ical history of our country we are pre-
pared to admit that Colonel Falkner was
correct when he said 1t was little less
than crime to force railroads into poll
tics in Alabama.
Headquarters Opened.
With railroad political headquarters
opened In this city. railroad political
clubs organized. employees of this railroad
company walking the streets trying to
teach our citizens the science of gov
eminent by rehearsing the threadbare
90 WIT Ion,