The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-04-06
SOME CAUSTIC LINES.
Mr.. Thomas of Alexander City Writes an In
teresting Letter.
Has Something to Say Along the Lines of
Being Fair
"JIM DANDY" MEAL AN ISSUE


The Birmingham News of April says:
1.-THE average citizen is an advocate of
fair play and an open fight" Both of
these principles are being wantonly vio-
lated in the anonymous assaults upon Mr..
Conner, the head and front of whose Of
Tending seems to be that he advocates
an adjustment of local freight rates of
Alabama in accordance with those OBJ
tanning in more favored states where rail-
road commissioners have exercised their
prerogative of regulating freight rates
with just consideration alike of the rights
of the railroads and shippers"
Now, when l sign my name to anything
l write or may have written I take it that
1 am not one of the anonymous" hence
the News cannot be abiding to me- 7
have not, and do not object to the rail-
roads being made to zeal justly with the
people whenever and wherever they
fail consequently am not objecting to Mr..
Conner because he proposes to do this.
What 1 do advocate is that the man or
men who set in Judgment in contentious
between the railroads and people shall
do so with clean hands, without bias or
prejudice.
Along that line I contend that Mr..
Corners record, although it may be twelve
years old, would seem to bar him. Mr..
Conner is not the proper person to sit in
judgment on the case.
l have seen no statement from Mr..
Conner over his own signature that goes
to clear the charges that have been made
f,,e.t 1t
transaction. 1 have read the affidavits of
his clerk Trousdale and Broker Tyson. L
have read the letter of Mr.. Wilkinson,
who claims to know all the facts and
details" and l confess to such dullness
that | fail to see the light. Mr.. Wilkin-
son says Mr.. Conner paid the $129.S6 ''un-
der charge" to the railroad and charged
back to the miller Now this would
clear things very much If Mr.. Wilkinson,
who "knows the facts and details" had
supplied the evidence to show that Hun
ter allowed this offset of $129S6 when the
carload was settled for. This may have
been overlooked by Mr.. Wilkinson as a
matter of small Importance, but want
to say that these details go a long way
in just solution of the question. Mr..
Hunter, the miller denies that he paid
the $129.S6 undercharges. See affidavit,
Age-Herald, March 81. So its Mr.. Conner 8
statement against Mr.. Hunters affidavit
and if Mr.. Wilkinson or Mr.. Conner will
only show that Mr.. Hunter did pay the
$l29S6 the preponderance of evidence will
be on Mr.. Corners side, and until this
is done l shall hold to my opinion that
Mr.. Conner is a Jim Dandy and not en-
titled to sit in judgment"
Again the News says: "The opposition
to Mr.. Conner was hard put when it
raked up a transaction of twelve years
ago in an endeavor to show that Mr..
Conner had resorted to a trick in the ship
ment of some flour. The thorough ex-
posture of that transaction has reacted
upon those who made the charge"
Now, | read the News six days in every
week. l like the paper and take much
interest in the editorials l nearly always
endorse them and was rather astonishod
when / read THE Real Issue" tonight
april p, Reacted on a thorough expos
ure," etc. l certainly fail to understand
how or where the reaction" comes in.
Does II react when Mr.. Corners friends
and affiants tell us that Mr.. Conner ship
ped Jim Dandy meal sacks from Bir-
mingham to Tennessee to pack flour in
and have shipped meal at meal rates