The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-20

-----~----------------~- facts and law will sustain me I will try to reduce the rates to an equitable amount provided the claim Is just"
 Corner Is PrejudIced.
 The speaker then asserted that MT. Conner was preJudiced against the rail roads and had allowed his personal feel inss to enter into the matter. He com pared the commission to jury and said that no fair minded man would like to te tried by jury prejudiced to one side CT other He said that MT. Corner had Trop1ised too much in advance. MT. Smith then answered some of the arguments advanced by Mir Conner at future meet ngs in which ne criticized the use of railroad passes and riding on private cars
 He said he had never ridden on but one private car and that was to the Buff falo exposition. That was a dear experi- ence to him, and he never wanted another one He charged that MT. Conner had no right to criticize persons for riding on pri- vate cars, as MT. Conner had frequently ridden on the private cars of the railroad commission on hunting and fishing trips.
 Suffering From Cold.
 MT. Conner was suffering from a severe cold and talked very hoarse as he be- Edn HIS argument AS Ht Wdiihcu uP lo the subject his voice grew clearer, how ever and he was soon in his element. He said the card criticized by MT. Smith which made the increase in freight rates 80 per cent was used two years ago in the campaign for an elective railroad commits sion. He said that it was absolutely cor rect, and that no railroad official had ever been able to deny it. He said it had been on file in MT. Smiths office all the time, and that Mir. Smith knew 1t.
 "I notice an expert stenographer has followed me around said MT. Conner, "and has written my speeches out for MT. Smith. He never has given them to me. I understand he is hired by the rail- roads Now that's a pretty state of affairs isn't it? Under that who would you say was the candidate for the railroads?'
 Explains Private Car Trips.
 Mr Conner explained about his trips on private cars, saying that he was taken as a courtesy to heavy shipper He then took up the question of railroad passes and drew the first smiles from the crowd. He asserted that politicians only rde on passes now and "the man who pays the freight ain't in it'
 He said at his last meeting he asked how many of his audience had received a pass in their lives. Only one hand was raised and that was by an old farmer who had secured a pass to come back from the war. Mir. Conner told some good private car stories and asserted that the private car today dominated state affairs.
 T never promised to do anything not in the scope of the law and MT. Smith knows it," exclaimed MT. Conner. He should give men credit for more sense. am In favor of lower freight rates as have said before. Are you?" asked MT. Conner, turning to MT Smith Mir. Smith did not answer
 Answer yes or no," insisted Mir. Co., mer.
 T will answer you in my concluding time" said MT. Smith Tn conclusion Mir Conner presented a letter from Charleston which said that the Southern railway fin a case there had made the assertion that that road passed through seven states and of these the rate in Alabama was the highest of all.
 Smith Makes Conclusion.
 In his concluding argument Mr Smith answered several propositions laid down by MT. Conner and said that in the hear ing of cases 1t would be his aim to be fair and just and If lower rates sould be secured on an equitable basis that would allow the railroads a reasonable profit and the consumers and shippers a benefit he would work to secure It. MT. Smith said that he was not for any one class or Orpanizatf0 ht1t that he WotIId work