The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-22


that this suggestion has met with even
more favor than I expected 1t would. ]
am not quite so lonesome as 1 thought
l might be when I made the suggestion,
and for this unexpected companionship
accept my hearty thanks. (Applausel.
Some tried to make it appear that 1
was speaking for the democratic party,
and attempting to enforce my ideas upon
| that party If any one thinks that in
saying what l have said I have attempt
ed to commit the democratic party to
/ the proposition, let me remind him that
| when I first proposed this thing I was in
! a position where no one would think that
I was trying to commit the democratic
party to anything; I was in position
where | could speak as a private citi
zen for II Just after the st. Louis con-
venton l could not speak as an in
dividuab when on earth could man
speak as such? (Applause). They had re-
| lieved me of the responsibilities of lead
ership, not only that but they had nomin-
! ated a candidate against whose nomin-
alton I had protested, and some of those
who were anxious for his nomination
were really In hopes that I would rid
the democratic party of the responsible
| ty for my presence, and I thought now
was the chance for me to speak as an
! individual, and believing that every in
dividual is responsible to his God and his
| country to speak out when he sees
danger, I have spoken out, and I take the
responsibility for what l have done. ZAP
plause).
Returning from an absence of a year
and from travelling foreign lands what
was I to do? Was I to keep still upon
a question where my opinion had been
strengthened by observation? If there Is
any politician who thinks that would
have been good plan. / want to tell
him, that innocent as I am of politics.
know enough to know that If 1 had
not spoken the first day the next day
they would have asked me why / didn't
speak? (Applause). 1t has never been nee
essary to smoke me out. cloud applause).
AS to Private Judgment.
Now my friends, | do not object to
any one expressing himself in opposition.
If any man here wonders why l didn't
write to the people of Alabama and ask
them what they thought before l ex-
pressed an opinion, let me tell you that
in, all of the time | have been in politics,
no one has ever written from Alabama
to ask me what he should think. laugh
teri. sa
1t is not democratic to ask another
what you shall think (Applause).
You may call a mass meeting to find
out what a majority thinks, but you
cannot call a mass meeting to find out
| what you think yourself. Applause).
My friends, there are some who think
| that a man who is in politics ought to
try to find out what others think be-
| fore he thinks. (Iaughter) But my
| friends II | am trying to find out what
you think. and you are trying to find out
what l think, and if you are saying
what you think will please me and l am
saying what I think will please you,
how can anybody tell what anybody
| thinks? daughter and applause). Now
have been taught this as democracy
for every one to think for himself, and
| not to think anything that he is ashamed
to tell. (Applause). And then when each
one has thought and each one has ex-
pressed himself. 1t is easy to find what
the majority want, and the majority rules
in this country. applause
! All that I ask is that when you criti-
else my plan you know what you are
| criticlsing, and you won't find it out If you
| trust some of the papers to tell you.
| (Applause). II a man cannot answer an
argument he Is sometimes tempted to
mistate 1t, and I have found that some
| have mlsstated my position, some I think
unconsciously, and ignorantly, and some
fear Intentionally.
| Let me tell you what I said and then
you can pass judgment upon it. have
watched politics for some years in my
| own state and in other states, and for
| years l occupied position of many DEM
/ ocrats today. and said to people l am in
favor of regulation, and IL regulation
proves to be ineffective, then 1 am in
favor of ownership. That was my posi-
| ton for years. Applause). And l waited
and watched and worked for effective
| legislation. Nineteen years ago the inter
| state commerce commission was created
by law and 1t took nine years to find out
that the law did not amount to much,
and then, 1t took ten years to amend the
| law so as to make 1t Differentiation
years nearly two-thirds of a generation,
and during this time the railroads went
on and did as they pleased, discriminate
| ing against individuals discriminating
against places. bribing legislators, pack
| ing conventions, corrupting politics and
debauching our country (Applause).
In Nebraska.
Our national Congress has had its lobby
every session. and scarcely a state that
| has not had the same experience. In my
state ten years ago, and more, we tried
| to pass a rate bill. After tremendous
struggle. we got it through the house and
senate, and then the governor vetoed it
| and he being a democrat put the demo-
cratic party back In that state for many
| years. Next year we had 1t again, and we
got another legislature, but 1t was so
close that the railroads thought they
special engine and carried him out OF
the state, and he has never returned to
! Nebraska since, but we got it through
| in spite of that and the governor signed
| 1T; then the railroads went into court and
| they suspended the law and after sew
| eral years the court upheld the first in
| junction, and we have no reduction of
rates today, and you have seen that going
on in other states, until finally 1 reached
the conclusion that this great railroad
system was so much monopoly that it
was impossible TO effectualy regulate il,
and the only thing we could do in the end
was for the government to take 1t and
run 1t in the interest of the people, and
not themselves. tApplause) How long will
it be before the people are convinced
| that this is necessary, / do not know. 1t
| depends largely upon the success of the
measures that are being undertaken.
| If the democratic party can drive the
corporation representatives out of the
party organization. and drive him out Of
office. and give the people a chance, we
may be able to make regulation effective.
We have not done 1t In the past. ZAP
plause)
IL this rate law proves to be effective,
and brings the people relief, 1t may de-
lay the growth of public opinion in favor
of government ownership, but 1 am
afraid with us experience will be as IL
has been In the cities. The moment the
city attempts to regulate the rights OF
municipal franchise held by the corpora
ton, the corporation goes into politics; II
elects councilmen and Mayors and holds