The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-29
His Claim That Dollar of Georgia Money is Worth One Dollar and Eighty Cents of Alabama Money Said to Be
 Without Foundation.
Michael Finnegan Writes Letter to MT. Conner in Which He Propounds Some Anus
 ing Yet Pointed Questions

1 most sarlus an intilligent considerashun. raly wants to put the rale rodes out ov bisness, but is he equivalunt to the job? That's the problim,' I sez "Is he aquil to relavin' the state ov the incybus of thranspoortation?'
 But whin I met youse face to face heart to heart, an so to sphake, hand to pocket, me douts wuz dissolved. Hes remarkable mon,' l sez, "I'll hoop up wid him. l sez, "and phase Hiven," 1 sez ] afther he's pilutted the Commisshun for a short year. maybe I'll be recavior ov 1 rale rode"
 | An now, sor, to procade purshuant to our conference ov the tinth instint and | report progris as far as I've got Youse will reminder that youse sed to me af- ther some unrilevint remarks about Billy Bryan and Misther Hearst, youse sed to me, Mike, don't youse think uts time to be orgnisin the "Farmsrs', Merchants and Labrers' Associashun? bekase Mis- ther Finnigan youse sed. people is axin And bedad, I wud like for youse to orgin- ise ut, as soon as youse can colleck the matarial nf not sooner, youse sed But who the divil will l orginize?' I sez. 'Innybody and Iverbody that's il- | ligible," youse sed q can't do Ut me- self' youse sed. "bekase ut takes all ov me vallyable time to write an sphake | and able addresses I'm maxim; an me eyes Is wake and me voice is hoarse wid invintin' and explainin' freight rates, and kapin' tab on the percintage ov trans poortation in Georgy an Alabamy," youse | sed.
 | But. begorra," sez l. what about the ways an names that'll be naded?" l sez | 'Youse can't orginize honist, God-fearin' citizuns of inny denomernashun, farmers | or merchants on wind" l sez "Oh for that" youse sed, "jst blaze away. l give youse cart-blansh," youse sed.
 :, But. tear an ages how much cart i, blansh?" sez I. "I'm seelzin' acrut infor- mashun," sez "A margin ov innywheres from twinty to wan hundher and twinty i percint doesn't matther much whin yure dammin' freight rates but it ull cut a
 hell ov a slice In this bisness of orgin- l isin'," I sez. "Whin l strike thim min,
 l must dale in lacks as will as figgers"
 l sez. I've got to incoolcate ivry won | ov em-ivry blasted son ov a bung-start-
 er-wid the knowlidge ov jist what ut ull
 be worth to him, an not lave him to be
 guessin' like youse do whin yure discuss
 sin the diffrune betwane Georgy and
 Alabamy freight rate" I sez. |
 now" I sez, like as not they're in the
 same boat wid yersilf an av that's SO, | they'll be Aisy" I sez. An thin there's
 the labrers; they'll be thinkin for thim- | se,s es and maybe we can't rache 'em at
 alL' I sez But the farmers, alanah!
 Yis sor, the farmers ov ivry ward an 1 beat in Birmingham They knows their
 rights an, glory be to God, they'll come
 high,' l sez.
 But there's no made to go over all this
 discoorse agin nor to recarpitshulate the
 fnanshul arrang ment we syndcated. As
 l toud youse thin uts intirely sats-
 facthry now.
 | Immediately on decidin' to orginze, begin to cast me eye to windward for
 ra-al good agints. Youse may niver have
 thcrght ov it, but good agints is inn | perativ in orginisin. A gra-at writher has
 well obsairved that "effictive agincy is
 the first clause of the law ov supply an
 demand
 Who will l sind afther the merchlnts ?'
 sez. Not the big blotid merchint
 prncis, but the umbil and honist thrades-
 min who houd out on the corners. { fsEkknr ri
 Jim Alixandhur." "Thrue for youse," I
 sed, two betther min cud mt be had out side ov Parradice or the State prisun." l Youse knows Hans, Misther Conner! The
 little red faced, pig necked duchmon with
 nose like spiggut an a belly like a beer kag. He dhrives markit waggun . an his acquaintance wid the groceries an , the shmall saloons Is extinsive. An shure , youse must know Jim Alexandhur. Jim
 Alexandhur, Why he runs ivrything from AT Campbelrs to the Metropolitan. Have l youse ivur hurd him expoundin to the gang at Solomon & Levy's? Well, youse shud. May the divil admire me av youse wud' mt think it wuz houly Moses himsilf breakin the tin Commandmints over the heads of the Chldher ov Isrul. So I sint for Jim an Hans, an as uts l always best to be opi1 an plane wid sich min, I exposthulated the whole matther to thim without any concalemint or re- bate, an axed what they cud do
 Well now, Mige Finnigan," sed Hans q tells yuose straigd.' he sed "dot Is a pig peesness All der same eef Misder Conner will goff oop all righd dere will pc no troubles, alretty."
 "Oh, he'll coff up.' I sez. Hes a money coffer. Don't youse lose no shlape on that"
 Well den, sed Hans, "youse pud i'd down on paper, dot all dose merchinds dot I trades init will pc der airtighd zinch."
 Thin. Mir. Alixandhur.' I sez. "youse have the fiure. What's yure idaar? l sez.
 Alixandhur. for an Amerrikin, Is shmart diszarnin mon.
 Thar aint nothin but wan thing to ut" he sed. 'If Conner wants 'em. he kin git 'em. Let him put up the stuff an the graft is his'n," he sed.
 "Whin will youse begin?" I sez.