The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-11-02
COMPETING PORTS
 WIN BIG VICTORY
The Canal Commission Throws Open Freight Business to All Com
 petitors In the Future.

Washington. November 1.-New Or leans, Mobile. Norfolk and other ports which are competing for Panama canal freight shipments, won a decided vic tory in changes made in the original draft of the canal contract made public today by direction of the isthmian canal commission.
 As the contract originally was drawn, it provided that contractors supplies would be carried at half rate over the Panama railroad steamship line. One of the changes announced today omits this provision and throws the freight busi- ness open to all competing ports.
 ----------~-----~---- have described. He is indeed an especially dangerous specimen of the class, because he is generously rich, and owns aews- papers of large circulation, and he can hire many able and active men to speak well of him. and praise him in speech and in private conversations Not only is the cause of poplar government in danger of suffering injury and discredit from the vote for Mr. Hearst, but genuine reform, the real practical redress of the evils complained of by the people, is in danger of being wrecked and brought to naught by this attempt of MT. Hearst to ges him SCH lecten governor or NeWf 1O1k.
 What Evidence of Fitness.
 What evidence has MT. Hearst pro- duced of his fitness for this office? Of his private life I shall not speak further than to say that from no community in this states does there come concerning him that testimony of life long nelghbors and acquaintance to his private virtue, tI, rectness of his conduct which we should like to have concerning the man who is to be made governor of our state.
 He is really known to us solely as a young man, very rich by inheritance, who has become the owner of a number of sensa tonal yellow journals; he has taken in his newspapers the popular side on all questions relating to labor and cor porations. and has sustained it by much violent denuncation and many falsehoods, and he has been persistent seeker for office on the strength of taking the popu- lar side; ne has published whatever ne thought would please the working people Tor the purpose of getting the labor vote.
 There is, however affirmative evil dence of MT. Hearst's unfitness for the great office of governor. You will per ceive that to the remedy of corporate wrongs for which he offers himself two things are necessary--first, intelligent and well devised legislation, and. second, the judicial enforcement of the laws-under- lying both of these and necessary to both is political purity, for without that neither legislatures nor courts can be pure.
 Covered With Mark of Tammany.
 How stands MT. Hearsts record as ,o political purity? Why, he comes to us covered all over with the mark of Tam many, and Tammany's leader. Murphy, whom he himself has denounced as q scoundrel and a thief; he comes to us not answering to the call of the people of the state, not as the honest candidate of the democratic party of the state, but nominated by his own procurement, through as shameful deal with the boss of Tainmany as ever disgraced the polii- cal history of the state. Can hypocrisy go further than the willing benefic lry of Tammany Hall preaching political purity?
 How stands his record a legslatorg He had opportunity to prove his capacity and sincerity in that field. Representatives are sent to Congress to attend to the business of the country. MT. Hearst was sent to Congress to do that. he had an opportunity then to show how much sin cerity there was in ,u the talk of his newspapers about refcrms and better
 
 What did he do? Why, he did nothing; during the three years that he has been in Congress that body has been in session 467 days; there have been 1855 recorded votes by yea and nay; he was present and voting at but twenty-three and , present without voting at two. His voice was heard in that Congress in those years but once and that for ten minutes in a personal explanation regarding an article published in the New York Amer ican. He did not even contribute a mo- ton to adjourn the business of Con gress.
 "He is SD rich that sl5.000 paid him for that neglected service may seem of no consequence. but no honest poor man would have thought it right to take 1t.
 Proofs of Unfitness. .It is seldom indeed. that man SO voung whose public career has been so brief so small portion oi whose life is known at all to the public. has fur nished such convincing proofs of his un- fitness for office.
 .''rhe public knows the character of Mir. Hearst only by the newspapers publishes. and God forbid that we shou set up in the high station Of govern