The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-27
FOR A LEGISLATURE
COMERITEs ARE NOW DIRECTING
 THEIR EFFORTS.
The candidate Speaks at CentreviiIe, and in Introducing Him. Mr. Reynolds Reads Whites
 Circular Letter.

Centreville, Feb. 26-(Special )--Can- didate Conner addressed an audience of about three hundred here today. He was well received and much interest was manifested in his speech. He was introduced by H. F. Reynolds, candi- date for the State Senate. In intro ducing the candidate. Mir. Reynolds read the following extract from an address to the voters of Alabama by the Campaign Committee of the Far mers Merchants and Itaborers, Asso- citation of Alabama.
 Tn the election for President of the Railroad Commission two years ago. the people again carried the state by an unprecedented majority and elect l. ed Hon. B. B. Conner over the candi- date of the railroads. This great vic tory was accomplished notwithstand- ing the fact that the railroads com bined against the people and resorted to every means known to long dom mating power to overawe and sup due them. They used on the election an enormous corruption fund to de- bauch the voters of the State. This large sum of money used to corrupt the ballot was wrung by the railroads from producers and shippers, of the State, by exacting from them unjust oxtortionate and discriminating freight rates, thus making the people supply the corruption fund by which they were to be enslaved and plundered
 The railroads have no money ex' cept that which they obtain from theii patrons, either for the transportation of freight of passengers. How coult this vast sum, expended to debauch th' electorate of the State, be spared bl the railroads when they claim tha they are not earning fair and reas enable return on the capital invested If the railroads are not earning, a. they contend, enough to pay reas 1 enable return for the amount invested | in them, where did they get this cor ruption fund, so lavishly spent in tha election? In using to control the cleo | tion the money exacted from theii | patrons in Alabama, they did Jus | what the insurance companies nave done in New York, when they appro' priated the money Of policy holders tt | control State ard National elections 1 there. How much longer will the m tellfgent and courageous men Of Ala 1 bama submit to these humiliating con ditfons, and bow in submission to this 1 shameful foreign domination. Is II not time for them to be aroused IT defense of the State and break th' shackles from their limbs before 1t ii | too late?
 Tt has been demonstrated time and iagain that the railroads operating Tn 1 Alabama are not only charging extor- l tionate local rates in this State, put lthat these same roads are unusually dis terminating against the people, by charging them from twenty to one hun Idred and twenty per cent. higher local freight rates than they are charging Ethe people of Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and other progressive States Ills this right, or is 1t fair to our people IThis too, when Alabama furnishes the railroads more tonnage than any two oi these States, combined? Under these discriminating conditions against Ala Ibama, we cannot expect to fully de- velop the farming. mining, mercantile and manufacturing interests Of the lState nor can the farmers, merchants miners and manufacturers of the State Iattain the prosperity to which, on ac' icount of natural resources, they are en- titled. They have discriminated un- Ijustly against the farmers of the State by charging them a greatly higher freight rate to ship their products tt ithe Cities of the State than to ship simi- Ila rproducts from other and distant IStates to the cities of Alabama.
 The time has come when the people lof the State must act, and act witt lpromptness and vigor. They must no lonly elect q Governor in hearty sympa lthy with them on this question, bu lthey must In the coming primaries cleo 1 IOf the Senate and House of Representa- tives.
 If the railroads can control the ex- ecutive or either branch of the legisla Lure, then we will not be able to chang' these onerous and unfair conditions land the State cannot reap the fruits Ito which she is entitled. There must b. Ia clean sweep. The railroads of Ala
 bama must be divorced from politics They must be treated fairly and justly but they must be .relegated from Stat control to the legitimae management O their own affairs.
 Let the voters in every county, |
 the coming primaries, look careful
 to the men whom they support for tn
 Legislature None but men of tn
 highest character and of known intes
 rity. should be nominated. Canal
 dadtes should be required to pledg
 themselves that they will use their ui most influence, if elected, to enact leg
 islation that will give the people re
 lief against exorbitant freight charge
 and unjust and unfair discrimination
 and that they will adopt such method
 as will divorce the railroads from pol tics in Alabama. Let every voter d his duty and every patriot exert h
 influence to the accomplishment
 these ends, and the people will vii
 in the coming primaries. greater an more important victory than they haN won heretofore. and thereby reap tf
 fruits of their labors in past as we as the present.
 Frank S. White.
 Chairman :. Referring to his introduction and tt = article above quoted, Mir. Conner said:
 T want to thank him further for 1T 9 extracts from the address issued |
 that committee, which has been leadin ? this fight for several years for the pc 7 pie of Alabama. to stand true to theE selves. Gentlemen, 1t is like bug
 call to your duty, Every one of yo . should read 1t, because it concerns yc
 to the extent that you should stand
 your rights and your citizenship an . take this great State of ours and taH . l it out of the hands of the trusts an [ | sweep from your State House ever l vestage of foreign control, and plaC g your own government there.
 Gentlemen of Bibb, I say here IS tf : chairman said, two years ago | mao = vou an address in this room, That a'
 dress, however good or bad, concern' , vou. and it bore fruit The address W; l taken as seed and scattered broadca 7 and the harvest was great. Twent' . six thousand two hundred was gather
 into the fold of the people and as say, it was a Jim Dandy majority Referring to freights he said
 3 "When I was here before It was the race for President of the RaiIro' : Commission and at that time II you