The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-22
NOTE OF THE CAMPAIGN
"RAILR0AD INFLUENCE" sLoG-
 AN OF SOME CANDIDATES.
This Cry in Canvasses for President of Railroad Commission and Congress Have Put Corpora
 tions on Defensive.

The cry of railroad influence" a cry raised by those who style themselves op- ponents of the alleged railroad influ- ence" Is the dominant note of the present political campaign in Alabama
 The railroad influence" campaign is made by those who term themselves op- ponents of men whom they aIlege are effected or influenced by the corporation. They have dragged the railroads Into the campaign, setting this so-called influence up as an object of attack. There are those who assert confidently that those who are out and who want to get in have set up straw man to make play before the voters. And they claim that the al- legged influence is not discernIble or tanRi- ble. but that in self-defepse the railroad interests of the State may have to come forward and defend themselves from the assaults. tft ' .t
 The conditions of the campaign have verified the prediction of observant men that an elective Railroad Commission would put the railroads in politics in Ala bama. Whether they are there in the minds of certain candidates, or whether they are there in reality, may not be de- termined, but the fight is being made up- on them as if they formed the biggest. the most tangible issue of the campaign.
 It Is believed that the election of a Legislature two years ago favorable to an elective Railroad Commission infiu- enced many of the candidates of the present campaign to believe that there was strong sentiment or prejudice in the minds of the people against railroads They have taken their cue from this he- lief and based their campaign on a fight against alleged railroad influence"
 In the race for President of the Railroad Commission. the thread of railroad infiu- ence runs through the arguments of B. B. Conner. Mir. Conner by his activity in disseminating literature, and his aggres- siveness, has managed to keep himself in the foreground so far. He disclaims any enmity towards railroads, but railroad men somehow regard him as the leading opponent of the railroad interests. His campaign is based upon the charge that freight rates are higher than they should be and ought to be. He has charged that executive and legislative officials have too often come under the alleged rail road influence" Of the five candidates for President of the Railroad Commission, Mir. Conner appears to be alone in his par hcular campaign fight. The others have not seen proper to make attacks upon the
 In three out of the nine Congressional Districts there are fights for the Demo- cratic nominations. In two out of three of the campaigns alleged railroad in- nuence" has been made the central issue of the campaign. The fights in question are the contest in the Sixth District be- tween Captain Richmond Pearson Hob son and Congressman J. H. Bankhead. in the Seventh District between Hon. John A. Lusk and Congressman John l.. Bur nett. The fights in these two districts are very similar. The opponents of the two Congressman charge improper use of railroad passes and susceptibility to rail- road Influence on the part of the Con- gressmen. The charges are made most aggressively.
 The contest in the Seventh District is very bitter. MT. Lusk has widely dis tributed what he says are copies of ner- sonal letters from Congressman Rur- nett to railroad officials
 The third contest is in the Second Dis trict between Congressman A. A. Wiley and Hon. Bibb Graves. So far no such charges have been made. The nature of the campaign to be made by MT. Graves has not yet developed as he has made no public speeches nor has he issued any public address. "''
 It Is a matter of congratulation. think observant men, that no charges of '.rail- road Influence" have been made in tbe various Judicial races. None of the cam didates for judges has been accused ne in the least being susceptible to any i'm proper influences. Accusations of fbis sort are absent from the judicial car,- paigns which are being conducted In Q most dignlfed manner.