The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-19

public affairs, Captain Falkner prac-
tically never sought election to pub
| lie office. He was a delegate to the
| Convention of the old wing of
| the National Democratic party in
| Indianapolis in 1895 and was
elected member of the Ma
| tional Executive Committee of that
| party; he was delegate to the Ma
| tional Monetary Confer ence in Indian
| apolis in the same year. But he stood
out as patriot rather th1n a politi-
clan; as one who gave, rather than
asked, benefit In matters of State
| In 1890 he became District Attorney
| of the Louisville and Nashville Rail-
road, and that office he held until a
| few weeks ago, when he resigned It
| because of his physical infrmi, les.
| During the many years that he was
| attorney for one of the greatest cor
| porations in Alabama, he was beyond
| reproacn. In position that had sub
| jected many man to invidious criti-
cism or at least to sinister suspicion.
| "Jen Falkner was eminenuy In the
| confidence of the people.
| through legislative considerations of
| his own and other great corporations.
through litigation where his interests
seemed in opposition to the interests of
| the people of the State of Alabama no
| matter what the bitterness of confict.
! no matter how hard the fight, or how
! long the struggle. Captain Falkner had
the reverence and the affection of citi-
zens who might deplore a situation, but
would never condemn the leader.
| Taught by His Example.
| Though never an active participant
in the social life of Montgomery, Cap
| tain Fa1kner was well known in every
class. In the early years of his life
| he was a field worker for the Young
Mems Christian Association. He was
a worker in Sunday School interests.
and he was an advocate of temperance
| he was not puritanical. but of temper
| ance in the use of intoxicants he was
as strong a champion as ne was of tenn
perance in all things. IN Montgomery
he pursued the same plan OF life: 1t was
more by example than by precept that
| he taught; but his lesson was the more
convincing.
| In early manhood he Joined the Rant
list Church. and was all during his life
| a consistent member of that organiza-
| ton.
After he had adopted Montgomery as
| his home he bought his fine home at
Mountain Crek for his parents. Him
self he could spend Sundays there.
When he married in 1887 he purchased
Grass Meade. beautiful plantation
! in South Montgomery County. and
| there he and his family spent much
of their time. This home he sold but
| a few months ago.
| But before and after his marriage
| Montgomery was always his home.
Whether at his residence in the city
or at his country home, whether as a
| visitor or as a resident. the people of
| Montgomery were his people.
Captain Falkner's wife was Miss
Lizzie Cameron of Montgomery. daugh-
/ ter of Mr.. and Mrs. Andrew Cameron,
| and the marriage completed the union
of his interests with Montgomery.
| I.atr -
| ing happiness and Mrs. Falkner oc-
| cuies a position of social and per-
| sonal influence commensurate with the
power of her husband. Two children
| were born to them,-Jefferson Cameron
| Falkner and Robert Moulton Falkner
Besides his widow and children, Cap
| tain FG%,ner leaves his sister, Mrs.
Sallie Falkner May. who has been a
member of his household for several
years and brother. Avery Falkner of
Verbena. All of these kinsmen are well
| known in Montgomery.
OF Great Political Influence.
1t is difficult to adjudge Captain
| Falkner as public man.
From a political point of view he was
not In the generally accepted sense of
the phrase a public man. Once City
| Attorney for Montgomery. for two
| terms a member of the city's Board of
Aldermen, his career as an office-holder
was ended. His interest in civic mat
ters was impersonal; he was a servant
| of the people, not one served.
| Throughout his career he had great
| political influence: men naturally re-
| garded him as a leader; but he en-
| ployed it to enforce measures. not to
elevate men. AS District Attorney for
the louisville and Nashville he occu-
pied perhaps, the most prominent legal
position with the judiciary of the
| state; as a leader in such civic pro-
| gressions as the betterment of public
| highways. the amelioration of the con-
dition of Confederate Veterans, and in
affairs of wide financial scope, he was
accepted as an authoritative maker of
i sentiment
| public trust or emolument; he was sat
ished to do his part in the moulding of
| the general thought and in the work
ing out of plans which he and the other
master minds of the State offered TO
the electors of Alabama rs their best
means of creating or maintaining de-
sirable conditions.
Work for His Comrades.
As the founder of the Mountain
| Creek Home for Confederate Veterans
CAPTAIN Falkner is particularly MEM
orable. He was himself a Confeder-
ate soldier; he gave all that he had of
| courage and physical strength; ne set
aside his college education all that
high ambition had taught him might
follow it; he surrendered his material
fortunes to follow the flag that bore
the stars and Bars: but at the end,
though he was eminently able to pro
vide for himself and his aged father
ga mother. he held ever in memory
the men who fought as hard but could
not work as hard or as effectively as
himself.
So it was that a few years ago he
said that the men who had battled for
| the south and were now in their age
heIpIess must not longer he comforted
with brass or marble but must be hon
ored with matter less lasting but of
more bodily help. He donated some of
! the acres OF his fine lands at Mountain