The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-01
CUNNINGHAM WANTS MORE IMMIGRANTS Candidate for Governor Speaks
 at Wetumpka COUNTY CONVICT SYSTEM Says That as Far Back as 1880 He Favored Giving Railroad Com mission Plenary Power for
 Rate Regulation.

Wetumpka, October Sl-(Special )-Dr. R. M. Cunningham spoke here yester- day in the interest of his candidacy Tor governor to very large audience, the court house being filled with repre- sentative citizens of Elmore county among whom were quite number of the ladies of Wetumpka. It is estimated that his audience numbered fully 300.
 pr. Cunningham said that while rail road rate legislation was quite an i'm portant factor in the present campaign, there were several other things of great importance, one of which and more i'm portant, even, than the regulation of freight rates, was the question of secur- ing the best class of immigration to our state for the purpose of developing our rich and varied resources and for the cultivation of our twelve million acres of uncultivated land.
 On the question of railroad rate legis- lation, Dr. Cunningham said that he was the Original Jacob" and that by cast ing the deciding vote as president of the Senate, he made the president of the rail road commission elective in 1904 instead of 1906. thus making Mir. Conner possible
  Will Give Plenary Power. Reviewing his political record, he showed that he had favored giving the railroad commission plenary power for the regulation of freight rates as far back as 1880, when, as a representative Of Franklin county in the state legisla- ture, although at that time Franklin county did not have mile of railroad within her borders, he led the fight on the floor of the house on this question in the face of strenuous opposition, and in opposition to the argument that it would prove death blow to railroad building | in the state.
 I Along the line of education, he said | that he thought that the state at pres ent had done about all that the people could ask, inasmnch as it was giving | about half of its income to the schools | However, he said that he thought that the law should be so amended as to per. init all the revenue derived from fertil- | izer tags to be applied to the agricrl. tural schools and for the purpose of fur | nishing postgraduate courses to the farm. CTS in the form of institutes and lecture. and demonstrations along the line of sci. entific agriculture
 County Convict System.
 Our county convict system, said the l uoctoi IS ulssIace to our state, anC the law should be so amended as to give the state control of all our convicts, both ] state and county, not only for human. ity's sake, but for the sake of the revenue that we would gain thereby, the state being able to net at least S25 per month on each convict, whereas nearly all the counties, excepting possibly Jefferson. dc well to net $S or $10 per month on each convict. That by doing this. the con i victs would be better cared for and the counties would receive more for their contracts and pay the counties their pro- portionate share, less a reasonable deduc. ton for handling them
 There was no boisterous enthusiasm | but the audience was thoughtful and at tentive. showing that they were ponder. | ing well the arguments of the doctor There was nothing bombastic or dema i gogical in his speech. It was a clear logical. earnest argument, and he held ] the attention of his audience throughout the entire time. It can be clearly seer l even at this early day that the people | of Alabama. between MT. Conner on tho | one hand and Dr. Cunningham on thu ! other. are going to know more abou railroads and few other things. in thu near future than they ever knew before He spoke very courteously of MT. Conner saying that MT. Conner and he arguet that they were both honest men. am that Mir. Conner said that he endorsed hi: | (the doctor's) platform. but that the peo pie should look at the man behind it. thing which he himself endorsed as hi record was an open book. and that h. he had ever fought for his convictions no matter with what they clashed. wheth CT with personal profit position. or busi ness interests.