The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-17
Railroad Influence Seen
 in It All.
In Making Their Expenses and In Msk' inx Their Dividends, the cem- mon Carriers Hsye Added
 to she Prosperity of the
 CemmopweaIth.
By VIII T sheehan

I
 ence)
 In hundred shapes and forms. in-' | dustrial development is at work in | South Alabama. And through the. warp and wool of it all runs the red thread of the railroad influence. 1 If the influence of the railroads in Alabama politics in past years was all that antI-railroad agitators have painted. it were, not as great as the influence of these sanie railroads in progress and in development of the territory through which they pass. Whenever industrial and agricultur- al development has been at work there the railroads have been pushing and showing
 They are not moved through pure philarthropy; their epdeavors are not born of patriotic love for the State. policy of development is followed for financial reasons In general, 1t has no eiemosynary characteristics,
 In this there is no difference be- tween the policy of the railroads and the policy aof any other corporation or firm. Even wholesale grocery store Is not a philanthropic institu- ton. nor has 1t a phlanthropic policy. A wholesale grocer is out after dol lars just as a railroad is and each presses forward to the object in the way that promises the most fruits E RQeS 1 ture Is akin ana subject to, the same I impulses where money is concerned. There be many, however, who throw themselves into some fights or agita- 1 tfon, and announce that they are sac trificing, themselves for the good of the people. who pin badge upon themselves and take unction to their soul in plain sight of the people, as | intrepid soldiers for the common good | If one looks close, however. there may be seen, just ahead of these voi- unteer D Artognaps some office Of profit and trust. The way may he a 1 bit winding and devious. but like the hidden lady in the picture card the loffice is there just the same. Not that they care for the office. mo- no. not at all. but the great work can't
 be done. the great cause can't be 1 served unless the unselfish patriot I makes a further sacrifice of himself
 and takes the job.
 l Which leads one to note that of the three leaders. who started out to re- | duee freight rates in Alabama for ] the good of the people no less than | three Of them are candidates for of- | flee. After the agitation has spread they are now ready to make the crown | ing sacrifice. They are ready to take public job with a fat salary.
 Viewing these manifestations of that | universal human nature. which
 makes every man and every set of men thrifty in looking out for their own 1 interest, there be many men who re- i fuse to become enthused over this latter day agitation and who refuse \ to believe that railroads, any more
 dishonest. any more grasping than any other class or commercial inter | est
 Hut the railroads in making their l expenses and in making their dividends |, have made at the same time prosperity I for the State They have something
 to show for what they have done. They l have something to their credit-a big l lten---in their account with the State.
 Tn making dollars for themselves. they fhave, no few times. conferred Dean H Swift's greatest of blessing. making
 two blades of grass grow where only II one grew before" The railroads have | done other things besides cvereharEe II for freight. for one would conclude t from the violent and critical attacks
 now made upon the roads that theiC principal business. their chief aim in Il life was expressing the down-trodden | people Collectively and individually the railroads have been the greatest
 agents of development that the State has ever known.
 Fl No other private enterprise no other II collection of private capital Las spent
 so much. has given so much of time Ys
 as the private capital which the rail-
 roads of Alabama represent. The State l itself, has not spent. is not spending II so much for progress and development
 as are the railroads.
 still there are some loose-tonRued l aEitators who would have us believe
 that these United States only form one
 vast Sherwood Forest. with railroad
 Robin Hood at every turn, robbine
 alike the rich and the poor. They
 would not have us say--these agitators
 that there is the least of good in them
 they would not even have us say. as
 was said of the merry men of old
 They gave to the poor"
 But if one looks for signs of pros
 perity if he looks for omens of devel-
 opment. the first thing he does is tc
 come face to face with the handiwork l of the maligned railroads. Wherever new people are coming, wherever g ] waste becomes a workshop, wherever a forest becomes a field, wherever civ ilization supersedes, there have the railroads been at their accustomed work of building up. And the truth at least should be told for them. Its } l the fashion now to put their ehigy in
 the pillory and pelt It with mud, but
 much good testimony in their behalf could be borne. Some of It's least, not
 withstanding the present cut of polit-
 ical coats.
 The Alabama Immigration and In- dustrial Bureau Is railroad organiza- ton, q combined effort to further the industrial welfare of the State. The
 railroads formed it. The railroads arc supporting it. And in doing it they
 are spending the money, the money the