The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-17
Declares Himself Peoples
 Champion. WILL RUN IF NEEDED Says Railroads Control State
 officers. President of Railroad Commission Does Not Believe Cunningham Stands for People in Fight, and He
 VIII Lead Them.

Blount Springs, Aug. 16.-(Special.) That B. B. Conner, President of the Railroad Commission. will be candi- date for Governor of Alabama In the next Democratic primary, was made
 evident in his speech at the picnic and public speaking given by the Masons, Odd Fellows and citizens of Blount County this afternoon.
 He said upon being asked the ques- ton by one of the citizens of the county: T do not believe that the State of Alabama can get proper ad- justment of freight rates and reason able treatment from the railroads with out having control of the Governors ofice, the lieutenant Governors office. both branches of the Legislature and the Railroad Commission. Without this power behind them the people of the
 State of Alabama cannot secure that | relief to which they are entitled and until they do put men In office who will foster just railway legislation the pol | itics of Alabama will continue to be 1 dominated by the railroad interests. | In answer to the question Do you | think any man as a candidate for Gov ernor can crystalline the sentiment for | this movement as effectively as B. B . Comerg' he replied, Before answering your question allow me to state that during one of the meetings of the Rail- road Commission last spring where there were about fifty of the smartest railroad men and lawyers that money could engage fighting me and my move 1 to effect a reduction of freight rates in | Alabama, went to the Governor and | asked him to give me & lawyer to help me in my fight. The power of the State should have given him to me. It was a matter In which the interests of the
 people of the State of Alabama were at stake.
 Had Troubles of His Own. Talk about your little one mill tax | ation I begged him for relief. The Governor told me that he had troubles | of his own. I have got thls bond bus mess to take care of, and cannot help tfeIiow citizens, ir answering the ques- 1 ton put to be. I believe that if we had a man for Governor like I am by tho eternal Gods we would have had a l lawyer You can bet your fast sock on that.
 And the people are going to see to | 1t that we get man in the Governors chair with all the power of the State . behind him. Some of my friends have | said to me. stay where you are and by
 and by we will give you something. Fellow citizens. I declare to you there
 Is nothing want except to see that justice is done to the people of Ala
 baml, and if the people will stand by me they will get justice.
 The issue is out If you will stand by 1t we will get there. Are you go- ] ing to elect your Governor or are you going to allow the railroads to nom inate and elect a Governor? The line-
 up Is going on. What are you going to | do about it?'
 A. this time another citizen of Blount County asked Mir. Conner the blunt ques-
 tion. will you be a candidate for Gov
 ernor7" He replied; Unless some | one comes to the front and claims the | regulation of freight rates as his issue, | the interests of the people of Alabama | will force mo to enter the race for | Governor and believe that the people | of Alabama have enough sense to elect
 a man who will protect them. They
 did that in my race for the presidency | of the Railroad Commission" Rap at Cunningham.
 The question was then asked MT. Conner do you think that a man will
 appear whom you think will take your
 issue and make the gubernatorial race
 upon itT' he rephed When Lieu | ing governor I went to see him and asked him to call a special session of | the legislature to regulate rates, or | to enact laws that would empower the railroad commission to act in a judi
 cial capacity. and he said that if he
 could ascertain that the freight rates were unjust he would call a special
 session for that purpose The special session was never called. Do you
 think that I have answered your question:
 Throughout his speech he referred to alleged control of the State offices
 and the legislature by the railroad in-
 terests, and stated that the people of 1 the State would have to rise up and
 shake of the yoke and that he believed they would do it. He also referred to
 the previous charges that he has made | that many of the members of the pres
 ent State legislature were corporation lawyers, and that they might be hon. est in their purposes and conviction.
 yet their environments" were wrong that they were brought up where the atmosphere was permeated with doc trines unwholesome to justice and free
 dom and that the people of the State ought to and would get out and elect men who would take care of their in-
 terests He stated again that 1t was his purpose to go out into every coun- ty of the State and use his every ef fort to see that members were elected to the next legislature of Alabama who weer favorable to the adjustment Of freight rates
 He then entered upon a comparison of the freight rates of Alabama with those of Georgia and stated that Georgia was seeking a 20 per cent re- auction from those freight rates which Alabama was seeking, and said that
 Hoke Smith will win hands down. Now gentlemen. you had just as
 well face the issue. Do you want it?
 Then vote for It." MT. Conner would not say Yes" to the question when asked if he would run for governor but every statement that he would make in that connection could easily be interpreted that he was an avowed candidatef forced to run. as he would
 put it, by the interests of the people "Old soldiers. We ought to have as large an appropriation for old soldiers" saId MT. Conner. "as the condition of the State treasury will permit. All know how poor some of these old sol diers are, and we owe them a debt of
 gratitude to help them all that we | can.
 "Education." he said. T am foolish about education. believe in 1t as strongly as any body. l do not think that appropriations for the benefit of the public schools can be too large, A [ aaL that you peoplA of Riount