The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-16
F. M. GRIFFITH, Travelling Passenger Agt. 105 20th Street, North. BIRMINGHAM, ALA.

! sion. No vengeance of Conner against l Smith personally is sought to be en- | forced against the Louisville and Nash | vile railroad Mir Smith, unfortunate ly, has been unable to distinguish be- l tween Conner the individual and Conner | the governor. Rate reform is not a | Conner matter, he did not create it, he
 Is merely one of It's leaders. MT. Bry-
 an did not create the demand for all | enlarged currency. He was merely l leader. No one man created the tenn 1 perance sentiment I do not agree with l the governor as to MT. Smiths presence l here. l think MT. Smith has right | to be here and be heard. According to 1 the customs and usages of the courts. 1 however, he should hrst purge hira- l self of contempt, for he has shown his 1 contempt of this legislature, and pub | lshed it and disseminated 1t through | out the whole state. But whatever dis l respect he may have shown should not be allowed to produce any unfairness l to the business interests he represents 1 MT. Smith has been personally iden- tified, and as president of his road. | has been identified with great deal l of the developments of this state. In | addition to the aid the road itself has 1 given development, it has come to my | Knowledge that MT Smith has. on more l than one occasion, personally indorsed | for large amounts to keep going busi- ness enterprises in this state when he took more than a money lending haH- ard The Louisville and Nashville has lrofited and the state has prohtec, they have been mutually advantageous to each other.
 Unnecessary Outcry.
 "A great cry has gone up that rail road has projected and now has under there can be no increased facility In the service under these lower rates. view of recent history will show how I little foundation there is for that | pugaboo. Since the adoption of our | constitution compelling the legislature | to fix rates and since the elections In | this state declaring in favor of the | Georgia rates, rates per cent lower | than the rates that we now proposo | to fix, the Louisville and Nashville rall-
 road has projected an dnow has unoer construction a great deal of double
 track.
 .sThe Illinois Central has been built
 into the state at an expense of millions
 of dollars; the Atlanta, Birmingham ana
 Atlantic has built into the state ana
 headed for Birmingham, and for mineral
 properties and the building Of It's road
 has spent and is spending millions oi
 dollars. The Seaboard Air Line has pulit a new line to Birmingham at cost or
 millions of dollars. and there have been other large developments; not only this
 but a majority of the stock of the Louis
 vile and Nashville road has changed
 hands once or more: the Central or Geor-
 gia has changed hands and all the stock
 of all the railroads have reached thelr
 high water mark In prices since the
 adoption of the constitution and since
 these elections declaring for the Georgia
 rate So I feel that 1t is idle to talk or l them suspending now, when all this
 money has been spent and all these re-
 suits attained in light of the notice al-
 ready given that we were going to enact
 and inforce lower rate than the rates
 we are now fixing.
 .The railroads themselves will get more 1 considerations We would be more apt
 to believe their report and their com l plaints if they treated us more Ike we
 were sensible, practicable business men
 and less like they took us for people
 who would accept any sort of story
 Frankness and candor will improve their
 case. Capital demands security apoVe l all things There can be no security l where law Is not inforced. If anybody
 great or small, be able to defy the state | of Alabama and prevent 1t from nforcing its law it will injure business and mtiml- l date capital and damage the state more
 than anything else that could happen
 to it.
 Il see no reason why the railroads and
 the people of the state should not con-
 tinue harmonious and satisfactory rela-
 tions, resulting in profit both to the state
 and to the railroad, and without anything
 but the kindest of feeling I shall still insist on a strict inforcement of the law
 and observance by the roads. The stable 1 government thereby established will re
 dound to our interests. our peace and | good order, invite other people to come | and live with us and new money to be
 invested in our enterprises. l feel sure
 that the bills now pending will not op-
 press anybody unless there Is a persistent
 defiance of the law. and that the general
 result of their enactment will be bene-
 hcial to the people and fn, the railroads"