The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-13

collection of materials bearing upon tn, history of the State, and Of the territor5 included therein. from the earliest tirnee the completion and publication of m States official records and other -his&o., ical materials, the diffusion of knowiss.. m referencs to the history and resournss of the state, the snoouragement of M .ofscal work and research" etc. fis nneaoauarters are located in the stnss Sap.tol ana visitors ind its rooms m mos. attractive and interesting feat,,rs, of the historical old building. x,sssss mere have been brought torethsr laEse number of rare books, pamnhists .ne"spaper nies. maps. prints, charta. rsi. ics. paintings, photographs ana r.a~s ssprs Sp These are invaluable to the se.,. dent of our history. - 'n' s'u
 :. Hon. John V. Smith
 No man in Alabama is more bisA,. Joss 2s or universally honored thnr roaa ra.. nNn. the President of the RaiI- hs commission; deservedly so and vvhen ~ ounces that he will be A candias = m the coming Democrat tic nr,v.s rs.s ~ suoceeu himself as President of ths fs.,sS .oaa Commission of Alabama. b,s sr,s,.S. .a .ns state are enthusiastic for him ara gre conndent of his winning in tha st.ss oy an overwhelming majority.
 Mf. smith. from his childhood. has h.., I ciose touch and sympathy with tba y~,- pie. For several years he worked a,, a s,.,a. m Lahapsosa County and acouirsS ass.r oi nis sducation by reading at night aLter hard days work. MT. smith Sss sradually worked his way up in the xossd oy olnt of hard labor. energy and sfr,et aonersnce to principle. As a man.hss ot the Legislature from Russell Countv Wnen quite young man, he won . v,ss reputation for ability and as "Smith of nusseH wielded potent infiuenos Tn shaping lesislation. As solicitor of ths Anra judicial Circuit. Mir. Smith stood tne nrst, and was conceded to be the peer or any prosecuting attornev ir Alabama. No man ever ouestionaS h,s integrity. his fairness or ability. ana aIl men wno came in contact with him white solicitor, either as judge, lawyer rn,,rt omcer, or witness, were impressed vtitbl ms earnest desire to do right ana aaa that justice was done in all cases lTr
 smith won much credit in his raanaselI ment of the late Governor Samford' q campaign before the State convention wnicn nominated that peerless statesnfan people of Alabama. Later, MT. Smith ,yas chairman of the State Campaign Commit tee and the large majority for Governor sanford and the State DemocratIc ticket attastea the thoroughness and ability with which his work had been done Again in isVL py unanimous request of the State Democratic Executive Committee. he was called upon to act as chairman and man. age tne campaign for the call of a con- stitutional convention and added new
 laurels to his fame as a campaikn mana. ger. He was an earnest and ardent ad- vocate Tor suffrage reform and purity in elections. In the Fall Of 1900 he was ap- pointed. without opposition. President of the Railroad Commission, his name being sent in to the Senate by Governor Jelks
 who was then acting Governor, upon the request of Governor Sanford who was at that time too unwell to be at the capitol < since his appointment, MT. Smith has devoted his entire time and attention to the duties of the office, and as a result. much good has been accomplished and many reforms inaugurated. It Is esti- mated that within the past two years more than $70.000 has been expended fin Che building and betterment of the depots. many determinations corrected, and re- auctions in the coal tariff rates of the various railroads amounting to more than SSOo'OOO annually, have been secured. These reductions have been gradually made and 1t has been the policy of the Commission, to make reductions just as often and as much as the financial conditions of the railroads would permit. In circular let ter Mir. Smith pledges himself to a con- tinuance of this policy as long as he is a member of the Commission. He is the only appointed of Governor Sanford who has not been reelected or re-appointed, and asks the people of Alabama to en- dorse his record and give him a second term. It is not amiss to say that although Mir. Smith has been a mem1 Der of the Commission but two years and half, he has had conferred upon him