davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
It is up to MT. Conner.
Montgomery Times.


 MT. Conner has all on his hands that he can attend to we'll just at this juncture of his canvass. If he would maintain the hold he was supposed to have had at the beginning of his campaign, he must ex- plain away this charge at his doors which commits him to a wilful misclassihcation of freight. It Is about as serious an in dictment as has been forged against any candidate now before the people, and the facts in which 1t is borne to the public are too obvious and straightforward to be refuted by simple negation.
 The onus is on MT. Conner to prove that he has not been slandered by lodgment against him of a transaction which con tains nothing to confirm his title to a great and responsible public trust. He must meet afidavit with affidavit, ale gation with allegation, sworn testimony with equally binding and conclusive proof He cannot afford to stand before the peo- pie and apeal to their support for honors with this barrier looming up in his path to the goal of those 1onors. He cannot afford to suffer the reproach implied in this imputation involving as it does the essential and primary claim to fitness and qualification It matters little how con vincing MT. Comers arguments against the railroads, if he cannot as sine qua non to his own right to correct the evils of which he indignantly complains. fur nish positive and elementary proof of his qualification to act in the capacity ho seeks. When Mir. Conner has explained his Jim Dandy" affair to our perfect satisfaction, he will have earned his per feet right to resume where he left of in his canvass when this loaded bomb was exploded in his camp.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
SOME REASONS
Why B. B. Conner Should Not Be Elected President of the Rail-
 road Commission.

1. He has circulated literature over the State that is wholly misleading and in many respects incorrect, as is shown by the circular herewith inclosed.
 2. Because no man should be elected who has promised in advance of a hear ing how he will decide cases to come before him, and who has already preju- diced cases which it would be his sworn duty to try according to the law and the evidence before him
 3, Because he is seeking to array one class of our citizens against another.
 4. Because he appeals to your passions and prejudices instead of your reason and sense of justice
 5. Because he has personal grievances against the railroads, and no man with personal grievances should be given an office when his sole duty would be to try cases involving the rights of the par ty against whom he has such grievances.
 6. Because MT. Conner has assailed cur Legislatures for the past twenty years as being dominated and practically brib- ed by the railroads.
 He has assailed nearly every Congress man in Alabama as being queer ducks in the sense of being ruled and governed by railroads.
 He has assailed the press of Alabama as being unfriendly to the people and SubSerVient to the rallrOauS.
 He has assailed every Governor of Ala bama for twenty years. including the la mented Sanford. as using this office to pay political debts to politicians. He has assailed the Populist Party, and accused forty Populist members of the Legislature of being influenced in fa- vor of the railroads by a simple free trip to Mobile during Mardi Gras. He has assailed the good name Of the whole people of Alabama, and the Dem ocratic Party. by the accusation that we have been dominated and controlled Tn all legislative matters by the railroads of this State
 '. Because 1t IS not fair to the people of Alabama to elect a man President ol the Railroad Commission who has per sonal griela ances against the railroads who has threatened to cut their revenue so per cent. in one order. without near ing, and who seems to have no conn dence in our Governors, Legislatures, th' press of Alabama, nor the Democrats l Party.-1t,
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
MR. KNOX ASKS CoMER SOME INTERESTING AND
 POINTED QUESTIONS.

MT. ". F.. Knox of Anniston was in the city last, night and upon being shown the afternoon papers containing an eaffidavit from c. A. Tyson, stating that he, Tyson, curing 1892 was broker for Maury Mills. Carter's Creek, Tenn, and as such. had sold "considerable'' flour to BIB. Conner. delivered at Birmingham. and that any underbtlling or misclassification on the same would have accrued to the beneft of the shipper, stated that Mir. Tyson's affidavit was indefinite and skilfully drawn for the purpose of deceiving the dently intended, He further said:
 "A careful reading of MT. Tyson's affi- davit and his failure to say that he sold the nine cars of flour referred to in MT. Hunters affidavit, dated March 22. 1924. Is too potent to need comment. am in- formed that MT. Tyson did sell B. B. Conner or the Birmingham mills for B. R. Conner, in July. 1892. some 500 barrels of flour, some few cars of bran and prob- ably car or two of corn, to be delivered during the months of July and August I have no information as to whether lis particular flour. etc. was sold delivered at Birmingham and I construe the word considerable in this affidavit to refer to the shipments sold prior to August 3l. 1892.
 Now in order to convince the people that he did not refer to shipments prior to August 31, 1892, let Mir. Conner get MT. Tyson to make an affidavit that he sold the identical nine cars of flour. referred 10 by date, initial and car humber in my letter addressed to E. Wilkinson, dated March 21. 1904. and published In The Age Herald March A. and that said nine cars of flour were sold by him delivered at Birmingham, Ala. Nothing short of a positive affidavit to this effect will in my humble opinion satisfy the people that Mir. Conner dd not reap pecuniary benefit from these fraudulent transactions
 T am advised that MT. c. A. Tyson in- formed MT. deFuniak. general agent of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company on October 24, 1892, and has re- gently confirmed same that this sale of nine car loads of flour was made hv the Maury Mills to MT. B. B. Conner direct and over his Cryson's) head, as broker for said mills and without his knowledge. consent or allowance for his brokerage commission, and that he CTyson). as soon as he learned of the sale in question made a demand. both in person and by correspondence for the commission or brokerage claimed by him under his agreement. or contract, with the Maury Mills and that he CTyson), had to threat en suit to recover his brokerage charge before the Maury Mills would pay same.
 If MT. Conner did not reap the pecuni- ary benefit of these fraudulent transac- tions why did he permit them?
 If Mir. Conner did not reap the pecunt- ary benefit of these fraudulent transac- tions how was he able to undersell his connections ?-lt,
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03

entirely, and placed in hands which will oeai with the railroads as we'll as the pe0ple.-fairly, and to the greatest good or all concerned
 We feel that 1t is working against the besG interests of the State to have this agitation brought up in this way, and purely in political way, and that if Is working against the best interests of the State. and we feel that we must know what the outcome will be, before oecldlng definitely as to our future plans 10" IT the rates are to be the subject of every political aspirant's claims, and thIs Tn an extremely biased frame of mind. We do not care to place ourselves in the hands of such a condition which must necessarily result for the next attack may fall on us. If the politician deems It to his advantage to so construct his platform, and we assume trouble oniy when we are forced into 1t, and do moi look for it for the purpose of coming in contact with 1t.
 We sincerely trust that the people of the State will repudiate such practices and allow the State to progress. as 1t has been doing, and assure the outside capital that 1t need feel no apprehension in investing within its limits and that 1t will have all the protection which equity demands.
 Very truly yours, (slgned)-1t. P. L. Hobbs, Ph. D.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
(Communicated.) "JIM DANDY" DEAL
Flour Shipped as Meal to Save About Ten Cents
 Per Barrel Freight.

Q. Did not MT. Conner, in order to de. rive al advantage over his competitors in the flour market of Birmingham. ship empty meal sacks branded "Jm Dandy Mear' to Carters Creek, Tennessee, and have these meal sacks filled with the flour which he had purchased at Carter's Creek, Tennessee, and shipped to him at Birmingham as meal, at the meal weight and neal rate, thus giving him an ad- vantage over his competitors in the Bir- minghanl four market of over ten cents per barrel?
 A. See the following affidavit:
 State of Tennessee.
 County of Maury.
 Personally appeared before me, Mo- tary Public in and for the said State and County. J. M. Hunter, who states that in the year 1892, he was a partner in the Maury Mills at Carter's Creek, Tenncs- see; that in August, 1892. he sold, in the office of the Maury Mills at Carter's Creek, to B. B. Conner, of Birmingham, Alabama who came there for the purpdse of purchaAtng flour. nine cars of flour; that arrangements were made by said B. B. Conner whereby the flour was to be shipped in meal sacks to be furnished by said B. B. Conner; that said sacks were furnished by B. B. Conner and shipped by him from Birmingham to Carter's Creek, said sacks being branded 'Jim Dandy Neal" that said flour was shipped as
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
Alabama Leads.
From Editorial in Montgomery Adv

From Editorial in Montgomery Advsr.
 tiser.
 The Advertiser a few days ago aIludod tn the vast amount of money invested in new industries along the line of the I,o,, isville and Nashville Railroad in the State of Alabama, as compared with such industries Tn all other States through which the Louisville and Nashville Svs- tetn runs. The editorial Tn question all luded to the annual report of the Gen eral Immigration and Industrial Depart- ment of the Louisville and Nashville Svs- tenn for the year 1903.
 The Traffic Department of the r.o,,;s- vile and Nashville Railroad has witIir the past few days compiled A sun,,a- ihentary statement from the General I'm.
 migration Department. showing indns- tries located. and families and nersnns settled. along the line of the I,ou,sviIIa and Nashville Railroad for the period January 1, 1904, to March 10. 1904. The re' suit shows that during that period therA were eighty-two industries established along the system. with capital stock of g, ,4S4, 800. Of these. forty-four were es- tablished in Alabama with capital stock of $2,O61 100. considerably over half in number and nearly two-thrds in point of capital stock being in Alabama AIa- baIaa leads in cotton and woolen indus. tr!es woodworking plants, fertilizer fac tories, car works. lime works. cotton seed products, marble and other ouar- ries and miscellaneous plants. There were settled on the system PA families CT 9o2 persons. of which 147 families or 52l persons, settled In Alabama.
 This is only cumulative evidence that Alabama leads. and does not follow Georgia or any other State in the race for commercial supremacy.-lt
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03

meal on orders from said B. B. Conner to oo so; that in making the shipment of nour as meal, 1t was as per said B. B. corners order Deponent states he made no suggestion concerning the misclassifi- eaton or under-billing. but simply car- rled out the instructions which he had from the purchaser, B. B. Conner; that the flour was sold /. o. b. cars at the mill, and therefore any benefits that might have accrued by reason of mis- classification and under-billing were in favor of the purchaser, and of no bene- fit whatever to the seller.
 (Signed. J. M. Hunter.
 Subscribed and sworn to this 22nd day of March. 1904.
 (Seal) (Signed) F. M Ricketts.
 Notary Public, Maury County, Tenn.
 o. Was not this false Classification and false billing direct violation of the Interstate commerce law?
 A. It was. most emphatically.
 o. Do you not think that MT. Conner by this process. showed a great deal os originality in the matter of reducing freight rates? Is not this method of re- ducing freight rates unique? Would Mir. Conner. if elected President of the Rail- road Commission, resort to such ques. tionable methods in behalf of his indi- vidual enterprises?
 A. The people of Alabama will answer that question at the polls on April 11-1t.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
GOOD COMMON SENSE.
Prominent Alabama Weekly Has .
 Word to Say.
Abbeville News,

Word to Say.
 Abbeville News,
 The Supplement to this issue of The News, while along political lines and on the subject of elccting President of the railroad Commission, ought to be of in- terest to and carefully read by every voter The railroads are not going toI do business for amusement, but want| sonie profit on their investment as theyI go along, and every fair minded person. is willing for the roads to do this, even' should 1t require the raising of rates-I The supplement deals with live issues and the methods of men asking for you'd vote and one of the means taken by one of the candidates to lower freight rates And you should not vote for man whd says. before he is elected, that he wil s do certain things before he finds ou4 whether or not 1t is right to do it. Co uAer's chances a few weeks ago seemed to be good, but he is losing ground the people become informed on the sub feet. and by the date for the primarS there will no doubt be landslide whic will completely knock him out and cleo A man who will deal fair with the road and the shippers. A man of this kim will please everybody Read these ar tIcles closely. get the facts and thaG you can vrte right.-lt.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
Bread Guaged, Unbiased, Conserva.
 tive"

ECSSemer Weekly.
 Are the terms used by the Democratic Conservative Club of Montgomery in expressing its views as to a proper man for President of the State Railroad Com mission. We believe that all good. fair minded citizens can conscientiously sub scribe to the necessity of such quanfica- ticns for that very important and re- spcnsible position.
 l; would be an ignoble and a suicidal pclcy for the people of this State to war against railroads or to take any action that would prejudice their proper inter- est. Railroads should have nothing to fear from the people of Alabama. They arc the strongest supporters of our pro- gress-the very instigators of advance mont and development. We cannot afford to treat them other than justly.
 Hence in the administration of mutual interests, of the peoples and the rail ro ads, broad-gauged unbiased and con seIvative instrumentallties only should be utilized A biased, prejudlced, win dictive man is utterly unfit for any ju- dlcial or Administrative position. The
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
The Great Developers.

olTInlHBHdn Age f1eTdlu.
 Of the many facts and signs pointing to the rapid material development of Ala bama, few perhaps are more significant than the data just compiled by the i'm migration and industrial department of the Louisville and Nashville railroad.
 The railroads have been great develop CTS all along. but never were they so much in evidence in this respect as in recent years. The millions they spend in wealth of the communities, but after all 1t Is the work which the railroads do in including homeseekers to settle in hith- erto sparsely populated sections and in fostering innumerable industries-large and small-that counts for the most in the long run. This work Is far-reaching and Its value can not be overstated.
 The statistics furnished by the Louis vile and Nashville's immigration and in- dustrlal agent appear In another column. Out of PC industries located by the Louis vile and Nashville last year SS were es- tablished in Alabama. The capital stock of these companies aggregate nearly $11- 100000. In 1908 nearly 600 families settled on the line of the Louisville and Nash ville in Alabama and these figures rep resent two-thirds of the entire number of homeseekers locating at all points on that system. These are facts that tell, for they show that Alabama leads in solid progress.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
Conner Tries to Deceive the People Sumfar SIin

MT. Conner says that he intends to re- nuce local rates of freight in this State one-half. If railroad property can not be confiscated. can the use of it the right of its operation. be Coniscated? The use and usufruct of all property are the in- separable elements of it's value Neither one nor the other can be confiscated. Then Conner is mistaken and is either ig- norant or trying 70 deceive the people
 All there is to the power that can he vested in or exercised by a railroad com mission is simply to exercise. through the State Railroad Commission. the same power and control that boarl of coun- ty commissioners have the right and power to exercise over toll bridge or a ferry It can prevent abuses of the DOW CT of the railroad to exact excessive charges by requiring reasonable charges: 1t can exact and require reasonabIeness about every dealing the railroad has with the citizen. The railroads contend that they are within the bounds of reasonable ness and fairness in all their charges
 The construction of the isthmian canal will have a very salutary effect upon the railroads of the State by providing ad- ditional tonnage in and out of the State. Is it not better policy to let the railroads and the prospective creators of the new industries this will cause them to have all the reasonable latitude possible in this State and add these taxable values to our wealth in preference to driving them to other Gulf States where no such cramps, iron-clad rules and war on rail- roads exist?
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03

." Is MT. Conner right when he says Georgia Is more prosperous than Ala bama?
 A. No. He is entirely wrong. Ala bama is as progressive and prosperous as any State in the South and has in- creased more rapidly than Georgia.
 Q What does he propose to do if elect ed Railroad Commissioner?
 A. Bankrupt nearly every railroad in Alabama unless 1t can increase interstata rates to make up the loss
 l. Will this help the farmer. laborins man and consumer?
 A. No, 1t will hurt them and will hurt the State in every direction except possi. ply some special business interests
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
Progress-Don't Tear Down.

Demopolis Express
 fMr. B. B. Conner. who Is flooding the State with circulars in advocacy of his candidacy for President of the Railroad Commission, will be either very danger ous man Gas Mir Vandiver of Montgomery characterizes him) in that position or Veritable demagogue.
 He Is either making promises to oppress the railroads for the purpose of catching the votes of the uninformed or he will hurt the State and every interest in 1t if he should be elected. He is too extreme. too radical to make a good officer for the peopIe. We need the railroads to bette" enable us to develop the great resources of our State. We can not find where their property in this State has paid any fair dividends, and we do want them to pros per. We do want better tracks, better Service We do want the probability Of disastrous accidents reduced to mini mum. but we can not have all these things If they are forced to put down
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
Sheffield Reaper.

Sheffield Reaper
 In the matter of selecting the personnel or the Railroad Commission the voter should be guided by the highest sense of fairness to every interest. We are not special pleader for any corporate interest against individual interest, or vice versa. because in equity and morals each pos- sess equal rights and one cannot be in- tringed by the other rightfully. No man who has personal interests to serve we hold is a proper person to serve on the Commission, hence Mir. B. B. Conner should not be elected to the Presidency of the Commission. Alabama cannot ar- ford in any way to injure the railroads just now when the doors of development are being thrown open. For the position of President or member of the body men who are interested in conserving the Lest interests of all alike should be selected, and We know of no better man to succeed President Smith than President Smith himself
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
Has Not Accepted the Offer.

MT. B. B. Conner has not availed him self of the kind offer of these columns to correct that report that he shipped Jim Dandy Meal'' sacks to Carter's Creek, Tenn, and flour was shipped as meal in them. when the freight rate on flour was cents per 100 higher than on meal and that he received the flour as meal, paid the rate on meal and said noth- ing about it.-Free Lance.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
Sylacauga Progress.

OvldCduGd FTOSTeSS'
 The Progress would like to ask MT. Conner If he was not benefited by the perpetration of the fraud. Why he took so much trouble to gather up meal sacks and pay freight on them to Carters Creek to be filled with flour and sent back to him? Is 1t not the custom of millers to mark each and every sack of flour in large letters, for advertising purposes; and if he was not benefited by the saving of Sc per barrel on the flour, how could he have undersold his competitors, and forced them to report his fraud in order to save their trade? In all offices of judicial character the people of Alabama should demand absolute honesty on the port of the aspirant. and for the position of President of the Railroad Commission. the man whose hands will be placed In power to clog the wheels of progress In the State for years to come no semblage of dishonesty or sharp practices should be tolerated for a single moment. The people of Alabama should think well be- fore they place such power in the hands of a man who would resort to fraud and misrepresentation for the sake of the pal try saving of 4c per hundred pounds. even if it was a corporation that he sought to defraud. Let us put in office men whose ideas of honor are above any such thing as fraud. misrepresentation or sharp prac- tiCeS-1t
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
Sylacauga Progress.

Sylacauga Progress.
 Vote for a continuation of the era of. progress that the State of Alabama has enjoyed for the past few years, an in- crease in the railroad mileage of the State and vote to treat every interest in the State with fairness and impartiality.
 A vote for Conner means a vote for the bankruptcy of the most important factor n the growth and prosperity of the State. for complete suspension of railroad building in the State, and to force the railroads to take part in the election of tkc law-making powers of the State and thu practical control of future Legisla- lures. The voter should think well ere he makes his choice for the latter con- alton.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
Marion Standard.

Alabama needs officers from constable sto- Governor of brains and unprejudced < principles. She needs leaders who are men of unselfish ambition-reasonable men who believe in that Democratic prin- ciple of equal rights to all, special priv ileges to none, and the protection of the person and property of every citizen. This principle cannot be protected by pre- judiced judge and a prejudiced jury. The people are as much entitled to de- mand an official whose mind is open to conviction as the prisoner at the bar to demand trial by an unbiased and honest fury who base their verdict on the evil deEce and not on prejudice or personal opinion.
 In this fight for the Chairmanship Of the Railroad Commission we have five candidates. That one can be selected who B worthy and fitted for the place not voter who reads this doubts. You have read literature and literature giving the history and views of these men. YcC know who are radical and who are con servative. You can see without a spy glass the selfish and vicious motives or tho one hand. and the dc mineering in huences on the other. It is up to the people to strike the average-to select the right man.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03


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