The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-10-07


would put the State officers In the
Jug" There was a good deal OF talk
coming from Judge Jones' ONCE about
Federal troops. army and navy. II
was very generally believed that by
his Invitation ne had railroad en-
pioyes come to his chambers. where
in the most spectacular manner he
assured them OF the protection of the
court. II 10 true that he requested the
Attorney General to come before his
court and plead as to why the solicit
tors and sherins should not be en-
Joined, and that the Attorney Gener-
al replied that he thought II was use
less as the Judge had already before
the date of the trial issued and pub
lished his opinion UNFOLDING the pre-
lifninary injunction. What possible
explanation can Judge Jones give Of
this unique proceeding? Any one read
ing OF this or hearing of the talk
could but come to the conclusion that
Judge Jones was not in a judicial
frame OF mind.
Cited Solicitor steagalI.
He cited Hon. II. r. Steagall, So
licitor Of q circuit court. for contempt
of the Federal Court for idle words
uttered to one Of the deputy marshals
In a distant town OF the State.
must say. as Governor of the State
trying to maintain the integrity of
our laws, trying to work for the best
interest OF every property, that l was
shocked beyond expression.
II believe In the National Govern
ment and while l was too young to
have the honor of being a Confeder-
ate veteran. believe there is no
stronger menace to the Federal Gov
eminent than the suppression of the
State. Perhaps never before was such
an injunction issued and I trust new
er again. The Legislature had been
conservatives: the freight and passen-
ger rates were among the most con-
servatiye of any State in the Union.
| dare say that in no State have the
corporations been better cared for. AS
Governor. / have tried to secure the
dominance of the State and the equal
ization of our laws SO that the law
should apply to every citizen and
property alike.
That melted our grand juries.
solicitors and judges to find bills
against the railroads or individuals,
or to make prosecutions, 10 a vagary
of brain fevered with Its own ex-
element. In proof of his statement
why did not the Judge refer to some
solicitors, judges or grand juries?
Interview with President.
THAT went to President Roosevelt
and told him that unless he called
down his Federal Judge In Alabama
there would be trouble, and received
from the President the characteristic
reply that II ! made any trouble in
Alabama. the President would see that
II did not last long is incorrect. Any
with Mr.. Roosevelt should know bet
ter. i have the highest respect and
esteem for Mr.. Roosevelt. both as
President and as an individual. My
relations have been most cordial with
him. and / am great admirer OF his
force of character and bravery. / first
discussed the Alabama rate cases with
him by his invitation when on a trip
down the Mississippi. When Judge
Jones had Mr.. Stea gall cited for con-
tempt. /, as Governor of the State. was
greatly concerned. / could not con-
ceive how far he, in his excitement
and exaggerated egotism, might go.
went TO Washington. taking with me
copy of The Advertiser, which. In
great headlines. published the Stea-
gall contempt citation and obtained an
interview with the President and,
showing him a copy of the paper and
telling him the story of conditions In
Alabama, asked IL he could give us
any relief My recollection of his re-
ply Is that he said, Governor. this Is
one of our courts. l have no control
over the courts or judges; what can
do? / must sustain the courts" l
replied that while l recognized this
statement as true. / thought our peo-
Pile. II possible. should have some re-
lief from such proceedings as Judge
Jones was instituting. He called into
consultation the Attorney General, Mr..
Bonaparte, who advised him that he
could not do anything to interfere
with the courts, but that he could, IL
II .luN~ a. II.
onment. Mr.. Roosevelt then told me
IL Judge Jones fined or imprisoned Mr..
Steagall that we could appeal the mat
ter to him, but OF course. he did not
state what he would do. / regard the
Steagall arrest as one most suppress
sing and depressing incidents that
ever occurred in Alabama.
THE averted civil war was a crea-
ton OF Judge Jones brain. do not
know of any one else who expected
civil war. There was nothing of the
kind contemplated or prepared for at
the Capitol. The old gun on the Cap
itol hill was not loaded with the pyr-
amid of iron balls, and do not believe
the old gun will shoot. The State
troops were not drilled and there was
no muster. I have read and been i'm
pressed by the story of Jack the Giant
Killer and the life Of Munchausen, but
they did not inspire me with the no.
tion of unfurling the State flag and of
calling the troops to war. l had no
vista of the Federal navy steaming up
the Alabama River. and I can assure
the Judge that at the Capitol the
State administration had no thought of
war. 1 think Judge Jones error is en-
braced in the following sentence taken
from the decision of the Appellate Court
when the Alabama cases were reversed
and the rates ordered to be given trial:
THE courts should, of course, with
strong hand protect property FROM I'M
lawful invasion. but they should not be
SO engrossed by that thought and duty
as to forget the rights of others. wheth-
err property rights or not. !" Judge
Jones' disposition in handling the cases
against the State was so partisan as to
create the impression that his court
was a foreign court, suppressing the
rights of the people. So much was
this so. that in a recent charge to the
grand jury he took occasion to try to
impress upon them that his court was
not a foreign court, but a native court.
This would have been unnecessary II
his conduct against the State had not
been so partisan. The rate cases are
on trial. and It is reported that mas
tiers will be appointed and an issue
made. OF course the evidence will in
a large measure be ex parte. II could
hardly be otherwise as most of the In
formation must come from the rail-
roads themselves. will again cite the
decisions of Justices Newman and
Brewer that the highest evidence is
from actual experience.
81 will again call attention to the
fact that the Central Railroad having
two thirds of its line in Georgia, has
been carrying freight there for thirty
years at a less rate than tie present
rha T.