The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-17
.C0MER CANDIDATE
 FOR COMMISSIONER
To Make Race for Presidency of
 Railroad Commission
MEETING HELD YESTERDAY.
Those Who Made Fight for Elective Railroad Commission Decided That Mir. Conner Was the Best
 Man to Run.

B. B. Conner, one of the leading spirits in the fight for an elective iallroad com mission and champion of what he and his friends term freight rate reform and anelioration of arbitrary methods in ship pin g. is full-fedged candidate for the office of president of the railroad cora- mission of Alabama and has the endorse ment of members of the Merchants, Con- suners' ard Farmers ass asiation.
 The candidacy was the result of tine ac- ton of meeting called by Captain Frank s. White, chairman of the executive com mittee representing the element which made the fight for the elective commis- sion, and held in Captain Whites office in the Guarantee Trust and Title company building yesterday at noon.
 While there were but three out-of-town members cf the committee present sever al local merchants took part in the confer ence and discussed the advisability of putting out a ticket.
 MT. Corners Policy.
 Members of the committee and MT. Comer say IL is not the intention of the association to fight any candidate person. ally and hat the movement Is in no way of vindictive nature
 Tt is a cause we gre fighting for" said MT. Conner, ''aad personally we have noth- ing agairst any of the candidates fer the office" MT. Conner went on to say. that the association thought II would be an act of political cowardice not to follow up the fight for railroad commission elect ed by the people with the naming 1f a candidate to make the race.
 Our first purpose was to have the com mission elected by the people, said MT. Conner, and then to elect a man who rep resented the people-the shippers as we'll as the railroads.'
 MT. Conner was not prepared to give out a lengthy statement as to his plans last night, but said he would discuss the mat ter at length in a few days.
 It is the purpose of the friends of Mr Conner to make speeches throughout the state in explanation of their cause and to wage vigorous campaign. A campaign manager will be appointed in a few days and a strong committee will take up the work under his direction.
 Captain White said: 'The outlook for success of the new movement Is very bright, and on account of MT. Conner 8 thorough knowledge of the shipping laws and methods he was the best man that could be put in the field as a candidate" [" Captain White also explained that it was more a fight for a cause than for the qualification of personal ambition.
 Attendance at Meeting.
 Though the attendance from other coun, ties in the state was rather small at yes terdays meeting, Captain White exhibited several letters from prominent merchants and shippers who were unable to be pres- ent but sent their best wishes for the success of the movement.
 Among those present were R. L. Little of Jasper, G. T. McEldrey of Talladega, MT. Sproull of Anniston Sid Lee, H. M. Beck. w. c. Agee. F. Wilkinson, Sidney King and Lee Bivens of Birmingham.
 While the leading men in the movement are in the brightest spirits, 1t Is said by persons on the outside that several mem- bers of the committee that worked for an elective commission have committed themselves to other candidates These men, 1t is said, claim that the meeting yesterday was merely a conference and not meeting of the executive committee as there were several persons present who never were members of that committee.
 The opponents of MT. Conner claim that the executive committee organized for the purpose of gaining an elective railroad commission went out of existence when it accomplished It's purpose.
 The entrance of MT Conner in the field will cause some interesting political com plications in the near future, 1t Is thought and several of the candidates, according to political gossip, will have to study the situation very carefully before making a new move.