The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-08

their charges. You must know Una the foregoing is an erroneous sta.e again reiterate is: Has the State tn. right to enact laws whioh. if enforced will. in the opinion of the citizen al. fected, result in taking his propert, without due process or law; ana retus' "A such citizen the right to his day II
 Denies the ~Admission.'
 II again quote: will also call youl attention to the fact that the Presideni of one of these railroads admitted thai his road has dominated the policie, and politics of Alabama for years ane calmly asserts that this corporate dom inance of a state government DS which he secured freedom from every their business relations and theii freight rates. was good for the State. H When, or where. have I admitted that the Louisville and Nashville anc South and North Alabama Railroad' have dominated the policies and poll tics of Alabama?' assert most em' phat4cally that I.have never made any such statement or admission.
 Tn your letter of September 24 you charge that Unfortunatelv for the State, the Louisville and Nashville has so long dominated all functions looking toward railroad legislation or control that they cannot realize the danger to the shipping interests of the State that will necessarily come from these condi- tions.'
 ''The foregoing Is but repetition of similar charges made on great number oS occasions in your campaign Tor the office of President Of the Raii- road Commission and Governor Of the State. In letter to you under date oi August 2S. 1907. said
 "'By this you doubtless refer to the exercise of the right by the LouisVille and Nashville Railroad Company, ana kxr r,tt, ,a.- v-at tlxrfa heard upon the subject of pending leg islation that may injure their interests, and to the right they enjoy in common with every other citizen, to endeayor' in every legitimate and proper way, to prevent unjust and confiscatory ieg. islation. Your attitude Is and has been. that the railway interests nave effort at all to avert antagonistic leg islation: and you even go so far as 10 deny to the railways the right to ap- against laws which they believe to be illegal. How can you honestly deny to the railways the right to be heard and to use such rightful influences as against injustice? The railroad inter est in Alabama is a large one-prob- ably the largest in the State except the agricultural fnterest--and 1t has pre. its own defense as the farmers, the fertilizer manufacturers. the owners or cotton mills. of coal mines. of saw mills. and of all other industries. This is so plain that you will not deny it. But you will probably say that the railroads have never been deprived or their right to be heard. And yet you have spared no effort. whether by in- timidation or by other means, to pre- vent the railways from exercising such influence as they have. and from call. assistance. By crying Wolff you have done what you could to fntimidate all those who might desire to say word for the railroads: exten6ing your ani- mus even to the legislators themselves. You, and those acting with you, have endeavored to at least make 1t unpieas- ant for a legislator should he have the temerity to confer with or listen to a representative Of the railway in-
 :'Has what you call the 'domination' of the Louisville and Nashville Raii- road Company--i. e.. its efforts to pre- vent legislation injuriously directing railways. and thereby promoting the interests of all the citizens Of the State-has 1t injuriously anected the interests of those citizens? Can you. or can any one, point to single in- stance where the influence of the Lou isville and Nashville Railroad Com pany in legislative matters has in any way injuriously affected them? Or can you. or can any one, point to single instance where such innuence nnforturate that the influence of the Louisville ard Nashville and other railroad companies was not success fully exerted to prevent the exceeding- ly fniust injurious and conflscatory iegisIation enacted by the present Leg
 When the Legislature of Alabama for ths seSstSs 0e pre- pared and caused to be introduced m mediately. numerous drastic pills in- tended. to large extent, to take from the owners the control of railway prop erty; and he was sufficiently influential to secure their introduction simulta- neously In both houses. The bills were promptly referred to committees;, ;,sad and a hearing. Although they employed to represent them ex-Governor watts. who at the time was a highly esteemed cure a hearing. and ali the bills were favorably reported in each House. Un- der these circumstances, tho railways appealed to the people Of & Aiaoamha hS petition and in other ways, so exerted their influence that the bills were re- ferred back to the committees and xn e railways were gwen hearing. The result was that not one of the obJec- tionable bills was passed. If the same result could have been accomplished at the last session of ,.s the IesdsiStsre sne acted to reduce the revenues and 10 embarrass the operation of the rail- ways-the assumption by the State. Tn effect. of control of the railways and n, of their revenues. with no 'responsibil- ity for the results--had been defeated. 1t would have been better for the citi- zens of Alabama, even though sucn result had followed from what you term the domination of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company AS a matter of inter est, l recall the fact that the active leader in promoting the legislation of 1S83-4 seemed to have become convinced that what he design- was later appointed to the Interstate Commer ceCommission. where. by his ability, he wielded potent influence, he nevertheless exercised his official power intelligeatly and justly. .,.,.
 Tn 1881 the number of miles of rail ways in operation in Alabama was r. SO4; gross earnings, SS,l15.455.
 Tn 1906 the number of miles of rail way in operation in Alabama was D. 66O; Erosss earnings. $34,217.720. an in crease during the twenty five years of 214 per cent in mileage and S2z per cent in business done.
 This was the period in which, you assert, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company exercised domi- hating influence in preventing legis- lation adversely affecting railway in- terests. During this period, the Louis vile and Nashville invested many mill Hons in the construction of branch rail ways, to develop the mineral, forest product. and agricultural resources of the State; and practically all those millions were furnished by citizens of other States By it's example the Louis yille and Nashville Railroad Company encouraged. if 1t did not induce, other corporations to do likewise, and also besought and encouraged the invest ment of capital to establish and fur ther industries and industrial acttVi-