The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-02
Agitation Dates Back Almost TO
States Entrance Into
The Union
PEOPLE FOUGHT HARD
TO CONTROL RAILROADS
Question for Candidates for Governor
to Decide ls Whether They Stand
on Railroad or Ant-RalI-
road Platform.
BY z. r. NORMAN.

BY z. X. NORMAN.
The condition that has brought about
the present widespread interest on the
question of railroad legislation through
out the width and breadth of Alabama did
not have Its awakening In a single day CT
a single year.
The beginning of the revolution, which
has this state firmly in its grip dates
back almost from the admission of Ala
bama into the union. Following hard upon
the policy inaugurated by the state add
ministraton of republican misrule, which
burdened the state with a railroad debt
of over sl5,Ooo.O0o, the people commenced
a determined effort to get within their
power the control of the railroads.
In 1871, during Governor Robert b. Lind
says administration. there were 1900 miles
OF railroads in Alabama with a debt of
sl50O0,0O0 hanging over the state there
from. Driven to desperation by the failure
of the officials of the Alabama and Chat
tanooga, now the Alabama Great South
ern, to pay its bond, the state embarked
into the railroad business for itself.
How well the people have succeeded in
assuming control of the railroads viii
from all indications be fully demonstrated
next year. when, unless public opinion is
modified all candidates running for Of
flee will be made to show plainly whether
they are on a railroad or an anti-ralroad
platform.
The first railroad constructed In Ala
bama was In 1881 during the administra-
ton of Governor Samuel b. Moore, when
the Tuscumbia and Decatur road was
built. This line was forty-four miles long.
and was built in order to transfer around
Mussel shoals. the part of the TeImes-
see river between Decatur and Florence,
which is not yet navigable. Since that
time musse shoals have proven a con
tinuous stumbling block to every Con-
gress.
In 1884 the Montgomery railroad, now
the Western OF Alabama was incorpo-
rated From that day new railroads were
quickly projected, constructed and built.
The promoter of railroads met with only
minor >hinderances. The plank roads,
which sRrang into popularity about 1895
somewhat retarded the progress of the
railroads. In 1851 there were i65 miles OF
railroads in the state.
Railroad Question Revived.
During the administration of Governor
! Inhn A Winston beginning In 1854. the
| railroad ouestions was revived The Gov
ernor in his inaugural address called at
tention to the importance of encouraging
the building of railroads. but expressed
himself as being against the state aiding
the enterprises. The majority of the legis-
lature however. favored the states giving
aid to the building of railroads.
me raliroao question: was az s Ina ', r,,e
,aaaa.s Of tta IaaIs,atura fouyht and s,c-
aaasloa T., ,,assinr thirt,,-three Mills lool,
49,, - ~ stata aidiny nromoters in CON
sts,,otirr rotlro.ds to deveIon the min
anaI a,s,,.,ots ~ Alabama An of these
hn1s a,ara ,,o+oad hv r.overnor Winston
| 49,, ~ ~, to.,.,, ,ot ha,ng stro,g anoush
10 o,,a,.rlda bis ysto none of the meas
80, 800. taoa,,,a , low
Tha a,souss,an of The ,uast,on bore
r,,,ot cod fru,, boweyer. and the old
Meth GA sorth railroad now the Louis
iii 80 Nash,.,,la wos chartered
Ia az s,.t,as r,,,tt ,he oi,,,, war apd
~ h,ttor dos ~ rocorstruction mat fol-
,o,.,od T., ne u,a,ss M nrogress was made
n,t,ar T., ~ oonst,notion ~ raiIro.ds ar
n t,a deve,onnent Of railroad lerisla-