The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-16

n line strictly with his previousl, announced policies, upon the railroad Questfcn and other questions before tn, xegislature and the people. the state ments and declarations of Alabama, new Governor. Hon. B. B. Conner, de. } livered yesterday morning to the two Houses of the Legislature, are not Surprising. By the force of repetition before, during and after the campaign these declarations have lost theii startling efrect. but there remains the Curiosity of the citizen to know what viii be the form of legal enactment upon those statements. the ruling of the courts upon those enactments, and the effect that will be felt in the future by the individual citizen.
 n his Introductory message to the Legislature. Governor Conner calls at tention to the wonderful growth of the State in recent years. and states that the growth of corporation service has not kept pace with the increased population and industries of the com monweaith. He recommends that a maximum passenger rate of two and . half cents a mile be adopted, that freight rates not to exceed those in use in Georgia be crystalized into law, and that the present Railroad Com mission law be suppianted by another. In connection with the subject of rail- roads and corporation service, Mir. Co., mer calls attention to the watering of stock and other abuses of the present system, and asks that means be taken to Improve conditions in those re- spects.
 The evils of the legislative lobby, ana the dangers of the free pass are ! held up before the eyes of the Legis- iators and Of the people, and the Gov ernor expresses himself boldly upon a great variety of topics in the course Of the 13.o0o or 14,0oo words of his message.
 The negro question Is discussed by the Incoming Governor with many hum dreds of words, but while he gives the negro both as an individual and a race. much excellent advice, no sug- gestion is made for the improvement or present conditions between the races. except the inferential approval of enactments against the prevalent custom of carrying pistols, and more stringent laws against vagrancy, which have been urged by the outgo- Ing administration and others for many months past.
 The full text of the message follows: To the Senate and House of Renresen-
 tatives:
 h accepting the great trust con eama in nominating and eiectinr na SoFernor there seems little need of ezterHve statement of the principles rf wnlcn x snaii nss,n guide % me in the discharge sions in numerous addresses to the peo- pie and in frequent Communities fions Snfough the press and by circular I nave expressed my views concerning state affairs and existing conditions' You will understand that in the last campaign for State offices there prac- Icaaiy was no disagreement as to the vital Issues which concern the neonle of Alabama The selection of officials turned largely upon the question who tne people thought would best carry execution for their benefit. Not only was there no pronounced disagreement as 70 vital issues before the people, but none developed in the State Convention of september 10. 1906. which was one of the most representative assemblages oI AIaDamians since the civil war. That adopted and promulgated a platform clearly setting forth the views and de- lining the demands of the people on 2orceful was this platform, so clear cut and mandatory to you and to me, and 10 all loyal Democrats. that I feel it incumbent upon me to reitearte its de- xnandsb suggesting, advising and pray Ing that you enact them into statutes thereby placing the responsibility of their execution upon the administrative ernment. l most earnestly recommend and urge that you make the strongest laws possible. embracing all these de- mands, making them so plain as to render understanding of them unmis- takable and their observance and en- forcement easy and certain. There touched upon by the Convention. nor alluded to in the debates in the cam paign. nor embraced in the platform. which are very important and must be considered and acted upon with pru- dence and wisdom.
 Growth of Alabama.
 The SLdte mas progressed wonderful 1y within the last twenty years For meriy a strictly agricultural people, marketing only cotton, now we have added coal. iron, steel, cement and lumber and cotton. wood, iron and steel manufactures and largely advanced mercantile interests; to properly devel- op and exploit these and prOperely place the people of this State in a position commensurate with the full develop ment and utility of their advancement tt will be necessary to change in many respects the economic laws of the State. We should place our benevolent and educational systems on a much higher plane, with broader scope making the former adequate and reaching with the latter from the remotest rural schools through grades of higher and still higher education, to our University. We should come to understand that money spent in these causes, though appar- ently lavish. is not misspent because we must meet these great respOnsibil- z ties in the most liberal way
 We should make our judicial system (AdeQuate to the advancement of the c5eople. We should enforce with strong J1and and sufficient protection. the c1uick and sure execution of the laws, Arriving out of our borders those with ~eriminal instincts, habits and prac- tees. We should remedy that tardi- mess of the law which has become a part of our court procedure. on ac-