The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-25
rHn aovERNon AND MIR. SMITH.

THE GOVERNOR AND MIR. SMITH.
 The people of Alabama understand fully the purpose of Governor Conner in calling the extra session of the Legis- lature. The Governor has made 1t very plain that it Is because the L. 6 N. Road, and allied roads. have not sur- rendered to him on the rate kauestion. The Governor proposes to enact more drastic legisiation in order to force those roads to syieid to his win.
 Since the call has been issued. how ever, there have been occurrences in- dicating either that the Governor was not sure of his ground. or else that the call was bulldozing measure. He has been trying to reach agreements with the railroads. so as to avoid the extra session.
 | The Governor had conferences with several high railway oficials.- and. it appears, has been bringing all the pressure he could upon the L. N. Road It seems clear that he has for conference to Mir. M. H. Smith, of the L. & N. Road. in the last few months. It will be recalled that there has been some pretty lively cor respondence between the two officials. at least upon MT. Smiths side. Never theless the Governor seems to have overlooked that. and to have been ex- tremeiy anxious to talk to Mir. Smith face to face. The Governor, with his usual vanity. may have been confident either that he could persuade or fright en MT. Smith into some sort of an agreement.
 Finally Mir. Smith came to Montgom- cry. and after couple of days yielded to the Governors desire for an inter view. The interview took place, the Governor Allowing no one else to be present. It must have been a most interesting affair; 1t is a pity there was not some wide-awake newspaper man present to have heard it. The Gov ernor has had almost nothing So say about 1t, and MT. Smith has given out very little of it's details. He has sim- ply made a record in an open letter to the Governor of some Of the arguments offered from the roads standpoint | against the extra session.
 It is very plain from all the circum- stances that the Governor urged MT. smith to yield his roads legal rights, and 1t is equally plain that the Cover nor failed. MT. smith doubtless proved lhis superior in argument. and certainly his equal in nfmness and determine Etion. The facts show that MT. Smith has no notion of yielding. His letter lis masterly array of his arguments against the Governors radicalism and unreasonableness. The Governor will find it exceedingly difficult to answer them. and the probability is that he did not attempt to do so when Mir. Smith met him with them. The Governor is reported to have said simply that MT. Smith madeisa speech" If the Cover nor made another one, he has not given 1t out. The probability is that he simply begged and bulldozed.
 All this makes it clear, as already stated. that the Governor is either not sure of his ground, or else his call was part of bulldozing program. He would not a few months ago have swallowed his pride sufficiently to have urged MT. Smith to an interview so strenuously. He then held his head high. and disregarded the views of railroad officials and of everybody else who questioned his wisdom and his powor. The Governor has undoubtedly discov- cred that there is a considerable change in public opinion, and he may not be so sure that the Legislature will auto matically register. his will this time. IT Lf1lS p0 HIS bJdhO OL tlo AOPSu to avoid the extra session by persuad- ing MT. Smith into a compro- mise agreement. On the other hand. he may have conceived the idea that the call for an extra ses- sion would frighten the L. & N, and other roads into an agreement. that he would wave 1t as a big stick over their heads. and that he would be able to withdraw the call. If so, he finds himself in a predicament. The stick was not big enough. and he will have to continue waving it.\ He will have to let the call stand. The Leg islature will have to reassemble. pub lie opinion will have to be defied. and maybe the Legislature will prove ob1 stinate Then the Governors misery will indeed be great.
 In any event, Governor Conner is undoubtedly not so vain as he was. His scheme has miscarried. He is not as successful in his craft as he thought he would be. He is not so big a boss, or bulldozer as he may have dreamed. Some of the roads can't be over | ,vgtb bIr raraop-