The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-10
MIR. coMER's USE OF THE RAIL-


 going in and ou' before the people of Alabama, asking ..:ei7 virtually ifnot in so many words. to believe that he stood for two things:
 1. For devotion to duty. He has been the model oficial, energetically engaged in trying to discharge the duties of his ofice. In the face of all sort of obsta- cies. in the defects of the law and in the inefficiency of his associates. He has recommended himself very highly. ?. Intense antagonism to those public men he considers to have attained positions of Influence through the railroad power. He has arraigned Democratic administrations, legisla- lures and the last Constitutional Con- vention itself as being under the lead ership of men put in their places by aid of the railroads.
 These two attitudes will be cheerful ly admitted by Mir. Conner himself and are boasted of by his friends. They are the very foundation of his candida cy for the gubernatoriaI nomination.
 Nevertheless there is evidence to show that these attitudes are mere at- titudinizing. that they are poses. po- liticai poses.--artistic maybe, to considerable extent successul, yet pos es. His own record in his present of- flee of President of the Railroad Com mission furnishes proof that he is not the ideal devotee of duty he would ap- pear. and that he does not scorn the use of the railroads to further his ambitions.
 Let us look at some of the provisions of the law of Alabama regulating his duties as President of the Conmis- sion. Here are quotations:
 Sec. 9.--such Railroad Commission all the railroads in this State; shall. from timefto time, as they may deem necessary. examine the same. and Keep themselves informed as to thelr condition and the manner in which they are operated with reference to the security and accommodation to the public, and their compliance with their charters and the laws of this State; and the Commissioners, in the performance of their duties, shall have the right to pass free of charve on all the railroads in the State. and to take with them any person in their official employment.
 Sec. l7.-Every person or corporation on or before the first day of Septem- Der of each year, make to the Commis- sioners. In duplicate. in the manner furnished by them annual returns Of 1 the business of such railroad up to the close of it's business on the thirtfeth I day, of June next preceding; and any | to make such returns, shall forfeit to the State fifty dollars for each day Sec. 22.~on or beore the 10th day of Commissioners, THROUGH THEIR | PRESIDENT. shall make to the Cover 1 nor, for transmission to the Legisla- | ture. report of their acts and doings ! for the year ending on the .thirtieth | day of June next preceding. setting scTth such facts as tS Ta rsirasS dise,ose tne tenn in this State. and making such suggestions as to the general railroad policy of the State as may to them hem | therein submit such recommendations 1 for further Legislation upon the sub ject of railroads as tliey, may deem | necessary or advisable for the inter- ests of the State.
 1 A careful reading of these sections makes three things absolutely clear: The Commission must inspect the roads the roads must furnish great deal of important information annually to the Commission, and the President of the Commission must make an annual report. incorporating all the informa- tion and making recommendations The law does not specifically say that the Commission must make complete an- nual inspections. but 1t implies at least that much, In requiring the annual re- | port. How could the President report about the roads, If he. had not exam ined them?
 Conner did very little in the way of inspection of the roads after he went into office early last year and before October 10th. He made only one short trip. Neither did he make the annual report on or before Octo- Der 10th last year. which the law says he shall make to the Governor" nor has he made that report even yet. eight months after the date required by law.
 Now isn't that a pretty record for such a loud preacher about duty. for such a severe critic of other officials, for such a strenuous boss of railroads as Mir. Conner? There Is no getting around what his duty was: the law is too explicit. Why did not MT. Conner do his duty last year? What was the matter with him? Was he posing then. or is he posing now? Was he playing politics then. or is he play ing politics now? Other facs may throw some light on these questions.
 Now let us turn to the cardinal fea- ture of Mir Corners political attitude, viz, his intense antagonism to those public men whom he has, been so fond of arraigning as creatures of the railroads. great deal of hIs most fiery invective has been directed at this class of men because of their len vironment." Every public man who has had any connection with a rail- road has been assumed by him to have been advanced by the roads to any po- sition of influence he may have attain ed.
 It would be supposed that MT. Conner posing in this way would be the very last man In the State to make use oc the railroads to further his political interests. Could 1t be believed that he would use a railroad In any way to make votes, or that he could tol- crate the support of railroad repre- sentatives? Would not his stomach