The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-22
ILLINOIS CENTRAL
 HAS LOSS BY FIRE
ITS OFFICES IN MEMPHIS WERE BURNING AT 2:3o THIS MORN INo-oRIGIN THOUGHT TO BE lNcENDlARY.

lNG-ORlGlN iHOO01i " DE
 lNcENpIARY.
 Memphis, October 22, 2:sO a. m.-F'ire was discovered in the building occupied by the Illinois Central company on the north west corner of Main and Madison streets, early this morning. and in a few minutes was burning fiercely. The entrie fire de- partment of the city was called out to combat the flames.
 At 2:SO o'clock, Fire Chief Donahue says that he believes the fire will be confined to the Illinois Central building. The loss will probably approximate $6o,OOO.
 All of the records and tickets of the railroad were destroyed.
 The fire is believed to have been of incendiary origin.
 [ ~--~----~~------~-------- sonnel of what he called the railway political cabal Colonel 5 Ss%lers. he said, was a railroad lawyer ,ioldHeN Wiley Tunstall, another mems es1I A,. railroad commission, was a ra tlroad politician. Colonel Tunstalrs two sons and son-ill- law were railway employees Colonel Ali Tunstall, son of Wiley Tunsta1l and speaker of the house of representatives, appeared before the commission in defense of the railroads and against the people. John V. Smith, a former president Of the commission. appeared as counsel for the railways before the commission. He went straight" said Mir. Comer," from the employ of the people into the employ of the railroads, and" added MT. Conner significantly, John V. Smith did not have very far to go.
 Can't Get Justice.
 What kind of a commissioner is that?" asked MT. Conner. Do you suppose the people of Alabama can get justice from such a commission so formed and so advised, even though the president of the commission do all in his power to defend their rights? When those hearings were going on, l went to Governor Jelks and asked him to provide me counsel to meet and match those forty-odd railway law yers an dofficials there in the state cap itol He refused to do it. If 1 had been governor. gentlemen. l would have grant ed that request.
 Now, l was elected president of the commission and I have done my best, but l have failed to get you relief. 1 have been thwarted by the two other members of the commission. They may be sincere and honest men, but their en- vironments make 1t impossible for them to do justice to the people. They always side with the railways. There is Colonel Faulkner, of the Louisville and Nashville He is a smart man, an able man, splen- did fellow He's hired by the railroads to look after legislation. He actually be- lieves that in serving the railways he Is serving the people, too. He has an office in the state capitol One day caller at his office inquired where he was. The negro porter said Colonel Faulkner was up at the legislature Whats he doing up there? asked the caller. Lordy mussy, boss said the porter, don't you know Mars Jeff runs the legislature And yet, I repeat" said MT. Conner Colonel Faulkner thinks he's doing right.
 Question of Environment.
 ''It Is merely question of environment. have a brother who's railroad lawyer and he thinks pretty much as Colonel Faulkner does. had another brother who was president of railroad and he actual ly used to say that railways were pure- ly a private business. I cite this to show that environments control all men. have no personal prejudice whatever in the matter My brother Is no more competent to fix a railway rate than Colonel Tun- stall is.
 When you think of these things, what will yo do? Take hold of the state, my friends. and run it, and make the rail- ways your servants, for if you permit them to continue your masters they will be the hardest task masters in the world Why. when 1t is proposed to reduce the tariff of the railways what do they do? They threaten to cut down the wages of their workmen. That is the most bully ing and most dastardly thing ever pro- posed! Think of it. They do not threaten to reduce dividends on their watered stocks, but to cut the wages of their honest, hardworking and loyal employees"
 Libel aw Disgrace.
 MrComer at this point spoke of the libel law in the state saying that If elected governor he would see to it that the present libel law is repealed. He alluded to his recent suits against cer- tain newspapers and individuals, which had been dismissed on demurrers.
 MT. Conner said he had brought the suits not for personal gain but to protect the reputation of citizens of Alabama. The suits, he said, had been dismissed not because the charges made by the de- fendants were true, but because the plain tiff had failed to give the defendants five days notice in which to retract.
 That law Is disgrace to the com monwealth. Under 1t any newspaper can -----------~-~---~---~
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