The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-08
Says Governor Makes Erroneous Statements In Message
 to Legislature
SAYS ROADS OO NOT
 INFLUENCE LEGISLATION
Concludes By Quoting Speaker Car michael In Which 1t Is Stated That Legislators Were Denied Coun-
 sel of Railroad Men.

Montgomery, November 7.-tSpeclal)- )- Milton II. Smith, president of the Louis- vIife and Nashville railroad, tonight made reply to the message ofsGovernor Conner, sent to the special session of the legis- lature today.
 Permit me to call your attention to some of the many erroneous statements contained in your message" says MT Smith. The letter is addressed to the governor.
 Ut is denied that railroad have tried to influence legislation. It is asked Ii the state has the right to take property of private individuals and not give the defendants the relief that they have in the courts"
 He charges the governor with many errors and says that by disseminating such transformation he has secured pre- ferment. After reviewing his various let ters and replies of the governor and the message at length, MT. Smith concludes:
 If it be true that the citizens voters of the state are committed to the en- actment of the laws that have been pre- pared and enacted under your super vision, is it not also true that the citizen voters and their acts as represented in the convention were influenced by your unopposed dissemination of error during yotr candidacy for office, and if it be true that the enactment and enforce ment of laws in the manner stated and in compliance with your teachings are injurious to the interests of the state, are infiicting incalculable harm, is it not wisdom on the part of the citizens voters and their representatives to endeavor to minimize the the injury by repeating the injurious laws, or at least permitting them to be construed by the courts and abide by the result?
 You say: The presence of the chief representative of the above road tLouis- vile and Nashville and South and North Alabama Railroad company's) at the Cajitol City at this time, if 1t be for the purpose of influencing you to desert your plain duty, is an insult to your man. hood
 By the foregoing you, in effect, de- clare that the railway interests have not the right to be heard, and should not be permitted to make an effort to prevent injurious legislative action; or should not be permitted to explain to the members of the legislature, in a proper way, the effect that prospective legislation may nave upon the railway interests and upon inc interests of the citizens of the state, DO you mean to imply that the members of the legislature of Alabama are so fully qualified for their important duties that they must not be permitted to hold Intercourse or receive information from parties who may be informed as to the effect of their legislative acts, or do you wish to prohibit the representative of the railway interest from being heard because you fear the legislation you de- sire enacted may be shown to be unwise ? There seems to be a difference of opinion between you and some of the other offi- cials of the state.
 .I make the following extract from an interview with the Hon. A. H. Car ,nichael. speaker of the house of repre- sentatiyes. as published in the Ledger, RIrmingham, Ala, October 22, 1907: I do rot helieye that it is the intention of the 1ayislature to take any action that will 4niure the railroads It Is a fact that at tbe last session of the legislature the -ailroad officials would not give us the beneft of their opinions. In the main the iegislature. with but one or two excep- +ions were ignored. The legislature will rot take any action to disturb the busi- ness prosperity of this state. On the other hand it will strive to do something that, will help It.