The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-26
HON. JOHN B. KNOX REFUTES
 ISLANDERS OF THE CAMPAIGN
Shows That Corporation Committee of Constdu- tional Convention Was Not Made Up
 of Railroad Attorneys.
(Communicated.)
\ ,n,n nrham Ala.. Aug. 25th. hood.

Btrmingnam Aie-s nus @"S'' Ae
 Hon. John. B. Knox. who Is candidate for alternate senator has given out the following interview:
 s,uring the campaign which has just olosed. I have visited nearly every mart of the State and feel confident of success.
 Tn the course of the campaign. some criticism has been directed against me on account of the formation of the com y,;ttee on corporations in the Consl- tuttonal Convention. I find that in the reference that has been made 10 my action on this subject, as we'll 10 my conduct in other particulars, nave been grossly misrepresented-
 For instance. it has been cnargeu. that thirteen out of fifteen members or the committee on corporations Tn lhe late Constitutional Convention were railroad lawyers. This is untrue and without any foundation. At the time of the appointment of this committee' if did not occur to me to inquire as to the attitude that the several persons had previously assumed with reference to the railroads of the State for the req son that at that time the question or raii roads rate regulation in this State hao rot assumed the phase in which it now present itself The prime obpect TOT which the convention met. was the regulation of the suffrage. Since have been criticised on account of the per snnal of this committee, I have made some investigation and find that at least nine if not ten of fifteen mem hers of the committee, had no oonnec- tion whatever with any railroad Tn the State. sMessrs. Joel D. Murphree or Troy: ". T. l.. Cofer, of Cullman; c. H Rogers, Sr.. of Lowndes; George A. Searcy, of Tuscaloosa; John F. Proctor, nf Scottsboro; Charles W. Ferguson. of Jefferson J. Lee Long. of Butler: Tohn D Burnett. of Evergreen. and D. c. Aimon of Decatur constituting a majority of the committee. had no con nection whatever with any railroad. do not know as to Mfr Henry Opp. of Andalusia and MT. F. W. Coleman of Jasper The only known railroad at torneys on the committee was General George P Harrison of 0uelika. Captain E. A. Graham, of Montgomery MT Mas snv Wilson. of Clarke. and Mir. Gesner williams. of Maregno. Messrs. Wilson md williams were only local counsel for their respective counties, and no vnen. in or out of the convention stooo higher in the State than General liar rizon and Captain Graham
 asThe railroad question. I repeat, was vot an issue when the convention was called and organized, and the commit faa was not and could not have heen annointed with any reference to it whatever. The sole object that I had sn mind was to select men Of the highest character and standing, for all nf the committees and to distribute the asaIRnments equitably throughout the State. That this was done is shown hv fhe personnel of the committee.
 .swhen the railroad question did come before the conventions however. all or 4he rnenhers Of the committee. actuated hv the highest sense of patriotism. con- serred together and unanimously agreed upon the articles now found in the Constitution. They embodied Tn the Constitution the exact provisions to the question of fixing rates. they nrohibited rebates and discrimination and under severe penalties prohibited the issuance of passes to the members of the legislature and judicial officers and in this action thev followed tn" leadership of Mir. Joel Murrhree. one of inc most active. ardent and able advo- eates of freight rate reform to be found in the State The report Of the committee on this subject was unani- mons and aa now recollect. was unanimously concurred in by the con vention
 Let any men who chooses. scan the personnel of this committee and tben answer whether it deserves to be condemned by the people Of Alabama. ! was satisfied with the work of the convention as a whole. In my judg- nent, no abaer. purer. or more patrio- tic set of men ever assembled in fur inference of high purpose, and sacred trust in this State. Its completed work stands and will stand, to their ever lasting credit when it's detractors shall have long since passed away and been forgotten.
 If. in this life, I am never permitted to render any further service to my State, I feel like can always look back to the part I took in the work accomplished by this convention ir eliminating the ignorant negro vote and placing the control of this Gov ernment where it ought always to have been. and where in my judgment God