The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-03-24
LETTERS TO EDITOR
The Railroad commissionership.

To the Editor of the Age-Uerald
Almost evry mail brings TO my office
letters, pamphlets or circulars urging
that l cast my vote in the coming election
for railroad commissioner for Mr.. So and
So, or against the interest of the rail-
roads. | suppose that every other voter
in the state gets Just such letters. until
one would think that this was the only
office in the gift of the people to be vote
upon, or that the other high offices were
of no consequence, though many of them
are the highest in the state.
Now Mr. Editor, I ask why this unholy
war? Why are these men seeking to ar
ray the people of our state against its
best friend? l maintain that the railroad
interest in the state is too large to have
man, or men, placed over them (even
If by the people, whose every word and
action S pledged against them. The peo-
pie of Alabama owe 1t to the widows and
orphans who have their all in railroads.
to protect them They owe it to the for
eign capital that is invested in them to
see that they elect only broad-mlnded
and impartial men to watch over their
affairs.
The people of Alabama owe it to them
selves to see that every interest is treat
ed fairly and alike. TO see that man
who puts his money into a railroad cor
poration is treated just as the man who
puts his in a farm, or in store. We
are In need of more railroads. Some two
or three are knocking at the gates of
Birmingham now. And they have to Dor
row money to get in. is 1t treating these
enterprising men fairly; to say to them:
AS soon as you finish your road we will
have a man in charge who will see that
you carry freight for less than it cost
these new companies to borrow money
that must be had at almost any cost?
Have these big ISiokers and fighters any
spare millions in their pockets to lend
them? They say that the roads haul
freight in Georgia for .001 of / per cent
per ton per mile (whatever that means)
cheaper than they do in Alabama. Well,
what If they do? Is Georgia any better
off than Alabama? | predict that the
railroads can prove tby their claim
agent book that there is more fine Jersey
cattle in the state of Alabama than in
Georgia Why all this fuss about little
freight? do not believe that If the rail-
roads would carry corn and oats to Jas
per or Tuscaloosa for nothing, and return
the sacks free to the merchants, that it
would make one bit of difference in the
price for same on Morris avenue.
We cannot expect a railroad company
to haul freight for nothing. And then pay
out thousands upon thousands of dollars
to people whom they have, or have not
damaged. | say let MS vote for the rail-
roads. They need us, and we need them
and more of them.
Only II few days since one railroad com
pany paid into the courts of Jefferson
county some $4,000 to record a mortgage
for borrowed money. This money goes to
the state and county Should not the men
who lend such big sums in our state have
the good will of the people? | say yes
And | believe on election day the voters
of our grand old state will cast their
votes for those that have done most to
make her rich. r.. j. DUNN.
Birmingham, March %, 1904