The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-10-15
RAILROADS RESPONSIBLE.
Progress In South Is Due Partially to
Efforts of Railroads.

The Knoxville Journal and Tribune in a
recent issue said:
III asked what has been the most potent
FACTOR in bringing the gratifying progress
hdue Dy the south In the last quarter of
century, what would be the answer? II
might be that there has been a general
awakening of the southern people to a
| rational consideration of their own inter-
es's anu that would be good answer
IL might be that following up this rat
lonal consideration, the people of this Sec
tlon mad been led to see the suicidal policy
Oh selling all their raw material to other
partS or the country, and to other coun-
tries, and buying it back In the shape of
finished product. This would also he
the statement of a potent fact
But II called upon to point out the
hrm foundation, the prime cause the
stimulating and moving fact the answer
would be, the railroads. What would the
south be today were 1t not for the pres
ence or the Southern, the Louisville and
NASHVILLE, and the other great system that
have laid their tracks of steel all over
the south, at an outlay Of millions upon
millions, and that are operating their
mes To-Day at an expense of millions more
every year?
The presence OF the railroads has stimu-
lated the business of opening mines and
that OF building furnaces, and mills. and
factories, in large numbers The indus
tri2I condition of the section has EXPERT
enced revolution and now instead of
buying all we eat and wear and spending
money to enrich other sections of the
country and Of other countries in the
world, we are contributing a large share
TO the export trade of the country We
DO not have to go off to New York every
Tune little money Is needed for the
transaction OF our business, our own
banks have ii and we can truthfully saw
that we are commercially an independent
people. But for the railroads this could
not have been done they laid the foun-
dalton and opened the way
Yet If what many people say is to be
believed. they look upon the railroads as
little better than highway robbers owned
and operated for the express purpose Of
gouging and depressing the people. Ap-
pealing to this class there are demagogues
who hope to ride into office. or to hold
offices they may already have by heap-
Ing abuse upon the railroads They have
created something of a public sentiment
that finds vent in the abuse of the roads
and of those who are employed to man
age their business. Such persons are
ready to accept without investigation or
question whatever any malgner of the
roads and of their managers may say.
We repeat what we said at the outset
If there is any other part of the country
that is more deeply interested In the fair
treatment of the railroads than another, 1t
Is the south. In our neghbor state Of
Georgia, there Is q candidate for governor
who Is attempting to be elected on the
ground that when in office he will see to
1t that the people Of Georgia are no longer
robbed by the railroads Georgia would
be a poor state indeed but for her rail-
roads. They are not only paying large
share of the taxes collected by the state