The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-05
The Railroad Uommissionership.

Birmingham Age-Herald.
 The contest for the chairmanship of the Railroad Commission is the warlnest political fight Alabama has had in many years. A bevy of dissatisfied shippers have banded together to get lower rates vn certain classes of freight which they handle, and they have taken up the cry all along the line against railroads in general In order to accomplish this. In the matter of certain specific rates many of these complaining shippers are correct equitable and, we might say, unjust rates prevailing in Alabama yet, though many have been rectined within the past few years. The Age-Herald has made cUm- wise and has been instrumental ill cur- recting many for the growers of produce and for miners and manufacturers. Yet The Age-Herald admits that there be other rates prevailing In Alabama which should be changed. and which 1t believes will be canged when properly presented to the men in charge of the operation of the railroads
 son for this populistic hullabaloo against all railroads-this effort to curb them and put a nose twitch upon them like one would handle an obstreperous young mule. and force them to stand and have their ears and feet and tails trimmed to become beasts of burden simply to haul meal or flour or cotton at the dictated price Uf few men who want more prof ltS AOSuAulCS5 OI LHO UT LHt roads or the profits of the men, the wo- men and the children whose money was invested to build them.
 MT. B. B. Conner, the man put for CT rates and thereby more profits to themselves has been a persistent and consistent warrior upon railroads. He has fought them in and out of season He has been vigorouS even unto almost viciousness against them. He has made all manner of charges against the rail- roads. and in return railroad men have accused him of shipping -four in meal sacks in order to get the meal rate, which 1t seems is less than the flour rate. These charges and counter charges are, how ever, not matters for The Age-Herald to go into, They are matters for the indi- vidual voter to decide upon the merits him. 'e" ''
 But The Age-Herald would say in the most forceful language at it's command that no man who is the declared enemy Of any interest whether 1t be corporate | or inoividual-and both are after all the same-should be placed upon a quasi ju- l dlclal bench to pass upon the merits of an existing freight rate or anything else
 NAT; Comer has been the acting attorney. so to speak, in many instances practical
 " prosecuting the railroads. His fight Tor the, office to which he now aspires is
 on a platform of force against the rail- roaus-to make them do as he and a few
 of his associates wish,
 Ihe Age-herald does not bellaye that
 the people of Alabama will endorse a
 rearing down campaign. Alabama needs
 building up-not tearing down. We want
 more railroads and better ones. We want
 men on the Railroad Commission who
 VIII accord 10 the railroads the same
 rights and privileges they accord to the
 shippers We want men who are un.
 biased; and prejudiced neither way We
 % not want man who has for years persistently fought railroad interests and } who would go in armed with A katherine [ ram of destruction. '''s MT. conner. good man though he maN
 pc m all other respects. is checked fui ol grievances against the rallroada be.