The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-07


 of way in the courts For all these req commission to revise and fix rates and that MT. Conner is wrong when he says l the commission is powerless. The fact 1 that it has done nothing doesn't prove that it can do nothing"
 Dr. Cunningham then passed to his record. Mir Comers record. he said has been made before the people. His record had been made quietly and unostentatus- 1 ly and without notoriety.
 1 Tn 1882 I supported the bill providing l for q railroad commission, although it | was opposed to Franklin county then | without a railroad. Then I voted for the l bill making the commission elective. In the last legislature my vote made pos | sible MT. Comers election as president of the commission.
 1 If my environments had controlled me 1 then l would have voted the other way Mir Conner talks about my environments He Is shipper He represents the ship pers' lobby at the capitol. He was elect ed president of the commission and now after serving less than a year he evolves 1 into a candidate for governor. and if he is elected governor will not the evolu- tion continue until he wants to be Uni 1 ted States senator?
 About Environment.
 Just before left the office of gover- nor I wrote a letter to the commission. That letter was called forth by MT | Corners presentation of the freight rate | case 1t was called the :55 letter. They | say it looked like the act of a demagogue; 1; that it looked as though l was trying to | get into somebody's band wagon; that | 1t looked as though 1 had like Paul been converted in the twlnkling of an eye. MT. Comer's statistics convinced me that something should be done. MT. Comer's 8 statement proved beyond a shadow of doubt that we ought to have the Geoy- gia rate Now. will Mir Conner tell the people that if they will designate whom l they want for president of the commission he will resign the moment the governor is inaugurated. If he will he will not be president of the commission and he may not be governor. Will he do it?
 ''When in 1882 I voted for the commis- sion bill voted against my environments | in Jefferson county. I voted for bills that required railroads to build trestles estab- fish depots and other such legislation. have made no speeches on the subject since 1882. I've made 1t a rule In life to listen to all men, take orders from none and do what I think Is right"
 Dr. Cunningham here made fervent plea for education and for pensions for Con federate veterans and set forth his views | on immigration, the convict question and regulation of the liquor business. On the latter he said he was In favor of local option. He then touched upon his record regarding executive clemency saying he had pardoned fewer men than any other governor in the history of the state. Of the back tax commission he said: Gov ernor Johnston established 1t and that act will make his administration live in the history of the state"
 1 The subject of appointment he said that I in purely executive appointment he would | name his friends and when vacancies oc- cured in counties he would appoint ef- fcient men upon proper endorsements.
 U. 8. Senator.
 ''I believe that the people should nomi- nate a United States senator" said he, "and I'll promise to appoint the man they name in case of q vacancy in the senate. Returning to his record he said "If you want to know about the man behind the gun you want to find out what the man behind the gun has done.'
 He said he had stood consistently for regulation of the liquor traffic, observa- ton of the Sabbath and the prohibition of gambling. He has also voted for the child labor legislation, "God made the children" said he Man made the dol lar and l believe the handiwork of God is more sacred than that of man.
 In closing pr. Cunningham came back | renee county on a farm; worked there as boy with his father. His meals were cooked and his clothes made by his de- ' voted mother. He was reared in the church and absorued the ideas of the com munity He had seen a great deal, but had never forgotten the lessons learned in those early years. His time had been spent at the bedside of his fellow men,
 Environments That Make Men.
 My friends said he with uplifted hands, these things are environments that make men I have the satisfaction sometimes of saving human life It is true l have attended convicts and have learned that the ulvine spark penetrates and lights up even prison ne. l am not ashamed of 1t. I have seen divine prin- cple of manhood in q dying criminal Now about my social environment. have some times put my legs under the mahogany of the rich, but usually l have associated with the masses of the people
 An attempt is being made to represent me as the railroad candidate. I've got no fight to make on any railway man, bt he president. conductor or section hand I also hope he will vote for me. but fl any man believes or expects that by voting for me will favor special inter- ests l don't want his vote for by the Most High God. l won't do it. When the sthte cOnNct Dill went Into erect Tn Jan uary, 1903 lost my job with railroad.
 Carries Ills Home County.
 "rhe hospital is still run by my son. 1 have not drawn a dollar from that company since January l, 1903. The hos pital is kept Up by the voluntary coop eration of workingmen, and if you want to know what they think of me see how they vote for me. All but 393 voted foi me in Ensley for lieutenant governor, and I'll get 9OO of the 1000 votes to be cast there next year.
 T have never failed to carry in a coun- ty that l have lived In. 1 carried Frank lin and Fillmore and the good old coun- ty of Jefferson. Those who know me best trust me.
 I'd like to ask MT. Conner what hap pened to him when he ran for member of the constitutional convention from def ferson. What did his environments there do for him then?
 "Yes. 1 went to Europe two years ago when the campaign was on 1 had a per feet right to go. 1 was out of politics cut my trip two months that 1 might come back here and take up my work. In conclusion Dr. Cunningham said:
 Fellow citizens of Franklin, you gave showed how l fired it. All of you here wh, I fired it. The proud old county of lief ferson gave me my second gun and showed hom fired it. All of you here who know me know that I will do what say. If you don't know it, if you don't believe 1t don't you vote for me-
 Dr. Cunningham was heartily applaudec when he ceased, though the audience had | fhinnpJ mt ropeidera