The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-25
MR. BOWIE DIS
 CUSSES NEW LAWS

(Contin.ea From Page Threel support of the people. could not make q success. Yet I have never heard 1t said that the business man who charg- ed the same rates. or less than his next door neighbor merely because he bought the things the people want, and got the trade, that he should turn around at the end of the year and dt- vide his profits with his competitor.
 have never heard it applied to any other business. and yet we are told that because of all the railroads in this State the Louisville and Nashville Rail- road in the Hast few years has been earning a little money by giving . better service at . lower rate than anybody else that the Legislature of this State has the right to go and take that money out of tseir pockets anu give 1t to those who did not earn 1t. E
 Parable of the Talents. It has been a long time since the parable of the talents was spoken to humanity, and thus 1t is recorded in Holy Writ:
 st"watch. therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh."
 For the Kingdom of Heaven is as man travelling into a far distsant coun-
 
 delivered unto them his goods. And unto ono he gave five talents, to | another two and to another one; and to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his jour ney.
 Then he that had received the five But he that had received one went and made them other five talents. | And likewise he that had received | fxxyr oIe Al oth | But he that had received two went and digged into the earth, and hid his | Lords money.
 After long time the Lord of those servants cometh. and reckoneth with l them. And so he that ad received five tal- | ents came and brought other five tall ents, saying Lord, Thou deliveredest unto me five talents; behold. besides tenn I have gained five talents more." His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; | enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" He also that had received two tal- | ents came and said, Lord, Thou de- liveredest unto me two talents; behold have gained two other talents besides them"
 I1ls LoTd bafu unto nm, well 0One, | good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over few things: will make thee ruler over many things; en- | ter thou into the joy of thy Lord" Then he that had received the one l talent came and said, Lord, knew thee, that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gather | ing where thou hast not strewd. And Twas afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth;
 "Lo. there thou hast that Is thine" l And thereupon we are further told that the unprofitable servant was cast | into outer darkness, where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. And so it Is that notwithstanding the wis dom that has been handed down to us | even from on High, the Legislature of Alabama is seeking not only to repeal | the Constitution of Alabama and the l Constitution of the United States. but they are seeking to repeal the very l commandments of the Lord God AL l mighty in taking the talentA of one | man who earned 1t and giving 1t to an- other who buried his in the ground. | Unfair Classification. Now. my friends, I want to under stand another proposition, the Alabama Great Southern Railroad Company at | the first session of the wonderful Leg | islature, was put in the first class, and when examined the gross earnings per mile of the Alabama Great Southern 1t has only 2s7 miles. I believe in the State-I found that it's earnings were greater per mile ,than the earnings of any other railroad in this State. That is due to the fact that they have just one straight line through the great | mineral district of Alabama, whereas the Louisville & Nashville runs from one end of the State to the other. and some of It's track does not pay as we'll as the great system that centers around Birmingh am-and yet, notwithstanding the fact that the Alabama Great South ern earns more per mile than any other road in the State of Alabama, accord | ing to it's sworn reports that are off, fcially filed. we find it transferred in these new bills from first to the third class and allowed to increase its earn ings 25 per cent above what 1t was fx- l ed at ten months ago.
 Then I found another thing. found that the Southern Railway, which Is put in the third class, Is earning more gross per mile than any other road which is in the second class. and yet was assured, solemnly assured on Saturday, that the reason for this clas- sification was based solely on earn ings and that they did not look at the question at all that the Southern Railroad had surrendered It's right to try a law suit In the courts. Anothe CT thing that I found is that the average tgross earnings per mile of all the rail- roads in the third class. which bears a higher ratc, is S6,S71.27 per mile, while the average gross earnings of all the roads in the second class, which bears the lower rate. Is only $5,227.5l per mile.
 Rights Are Mutual, Not One-Sided.
 My friends, l recognize that the peo- pie of Alabama have something to say, and justly so, on the subject of rates.
 They have a right to say something and that right is freely conceded.
 happened to have held an honorable
 position for a brief term of years in the Congress of the United States. and I voted, and I stand by that vote
 today, that the people of the, United Estates, through the Interstate Com merce Commission. should hear evil
 dence and pass upon the question of
 rates, and for that reason I voted for bill to strengthen the arm of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and give 1t authority. but that bill provided that the reasonableness of any rate nxed by the Commission should be determin- ed in a court of competent Jurisdiction,
 and that they should be suspended during an investigation. provided the
 judge hearing the motion thought
 that the case was made out. Every
 State in the Union, including Alabama. at the first session of the present Legis-
 lature. recognized that right in It's
 statutes, with so far as l am advised.