The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-07
THE DANCER, OF MR. coMER.

THE DANGER OF MR,- CoMER. Let us stop for a monaene and see if the lamentations of the calamity howl CTS in the following of Mir. Conner will bear the test of analysis.
 The burden of their cry is the alleged superior progress of Georgia in industrial advancement and development.
 Georgia was one of the thirteen origi- nal colonies. and had made fair progress Iong befors the State of Alabama was dreamed of. When Alabama was orga- nized in 1877, and, two years later, admit ted as State. Georgia already had a population of about s400oo. Alabama had about 127.0Oo In 1s4O. Alabama had the same number of inhabitants to the square mile that Georgia had, and has kept pace with Georgia steadily ever since. | In 1S4s Georgia had over 600 miles of railroad, while Alabama had only %. At the beginning of the civil war, Georgia's railroad mileage was 100 per cent great CT than that of Alabama. At the present time, Georgia has barely 10 per cent more | railroad mileage than Alabama, notwith- standing Georgia has 7,225 square miles of territory more than Alabama. As a matter of fact, comparison of the &C., | tual figures from authentic sources shows | that Alabama has equally as many miles of railroad to the square mile of terri tory as Georgia has, notwithstanding Georgia was one of the thirteen original 1 colonies and was, of course. a very old State when Alabama was yet unborn. Neither Georgia nor any other South crn State excels Alabama in its wealth of natural resources. and the wonderful progress which the people Of the State have made in the substantial develop ment of these resources since the close of the Civil War proves that they are fully equal to their unrivalled opportuni- ties.
 But, great as has been the development of her resources and remarkable as have been the achievements of her people, Ala bama's hills and forests and fields are still teeming with undreamed of riches. The possibilities of the future beggar de- scription. There must be no ha1ting. Un- der a wise and liberal policy. the State has gathered within its borders men of means and brains. who have built up. fostered and encouraged it's industries and institutions, who nave unfalteringIy promoted its material welfare, and whose one eternal watchword and motto is progress. With this combination of nat ural resources, advantageous location. bfains and spirit, Alabama leads in the march of progress. and follows no one. Except in the minds of MT. Conner and his followers. many of whom have only their own private interests to serve. all that Alabama needs is a continuance of that wise policy oS conservatism which has brought her to her present state of advancement. Of all the forms of indus try, railroads are obviously the greatest instrumentality for material improve ment, and the question that Alabama will be called upon to decide on next Monday is whether it will permit the railroads. and the vast capital allied with and dependent upon the railroads, to con- | tering the material interests of the State. or whether it will advertise itself to the world as an enemy to any class of indus tries or any form of capital. by adopting the extreme and dangerous policies which Mir. Conner is seeking to fasten upon the State government
 The State deals with the railroads l through its judicial institutions and through it's Railroad Commission, accord ing to the respective jurisdiction of each. Both should hold the railroads to the strictest observance of the law, and by the peculiar nature of it's organization the Railroad Commission especially should render exact and equal justice as between the railroads and the shipping public. But it is neither right nor expe- dient that the powerful machinery which the Legislature has provided for the reg ulation of railroads should be put into the hands of a man who has openly de- clared himself to be their implacable en- emy and who has by his campaign speeches and literature virtually an
 
 brought before him will be against the railroads. without regard to the justice or injustice of his rulings. MT. Conner has put himself in an attitude of hostil- ity towards every railroad interest in the State He has made promises of a most reckless character. He has been shown to have been a participant in the mis- classification and underbilling of freight. acts which are denounced by the Inter state Commerce law. His explanations of these matters have been evasive rather than bold and convincing. and convey the idea that he cannot see their force and the point view of fair-minded citizens.
 To elect MT. Conner in the light of these views, to an office of such vital import ance to the people. as well as to the rail- roads of Alabama, would be not merely an act of grave injustice; 1t would be a backward step in the States progress an attack upon the greatest investments of capital in the State, which would have ) its effect upon all other capital seeking
 investment. It would mean bitterness l and strife with the railroads at A tims when harmony and good feeling are pe- e cularly necessary to the best interests t of the State.
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