The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-17


 South and North Alabama Railroad Company, He offered Colonel Jones the pogtfon of tax aren't some time in the signties. when . vacancy occurred n that place. His services were 90 sat- isLactory, and he was such nne char actsr. that his promotion was in the natural order of things. when he was made Assistant District Attorney of the Y. and N. Railroad nineteen years ago, and at . time when was not connect ca with the road. He remained in that position until falling health compelled nm to % West. on leave, some time litigation was dreamed of. He died in Colorado, November, 1907. While his pody was lying in my home. reports were circulated from Montromery about which the editor of little sheet Tn Atlanta wrote me, that my dead brother had been employed by the l.. and N. Railroad Company to influence me m the rate litigation. and asking me to deny 1t. or state why if 1t were not true. he had not rendered any sef- vice to the company7' This attack was properly dealt with by friends In Atianta, when informed of it. I would not mention this save that 1t illustrates the nendish spirit In which the "fam- fly" argument has been used.
 As auti DrotHer, T. b. Jones, now tax agent. started originally in the service of the L.. and N. Railroad com pany as . telegraph operator. to aid in supporting . widowed mother and rendered such excellent service that he was gradually promoted into the tax department. and appointed to that place nearly eighteen years ago, at a time when l had no connection with the company. Years ago one of my half brothers. who is now in Charleston. was telegraph operator. One of my brothers. Carter. had gone into the ma chine shops here in 1874 or 1875, and served as fireman, and finally became an engineer. and at various times has been in the service of the L.. and ". and other railroads. Such appoint- ments are made on merit, under agree ments with his brotherhood of iocomo- tive engineers. and had nothing to do with his promotion. The appointment was no more to influence me, than 1t was to Influence Governor Conner.
 Is 1t possible that any decent man would dream that these appointments, made nearly a quarter of a century ago before I was judge, were made to ln- fiuence me. or that the promotion of these kinsmen long years ago for merit. was made to put me under ob- legations. or did put me under oblfga- tions? When I became judge none of the kin referred to were dependent upon me, and it is unthinkable that their positions or welfare could be changed or affected by any decision made by me. in the case of a railroad which employed them only as it did thousands of other men, or even occur to me in ascertaining the law and facts of case, much less obtrude it. self as matter to be considered In rendering judgment in case.
 I now have son, Samuel, in the freight department. Two years ago the boy, then a minor. desiring to better his condition. thought Of applying for a clerkship in the freight department where he had some personal boy friends who he said would get him a clerkship I forbade his seeking a place fin the L.. and N. service at that time. and told him. as he was minor I would pre- vent his taking 1t. He then went out failed, and after it was restored, and on his return to Montgomery. when he had become of age and his own master, he told me that one of my near neigh bors. Mrs. Watt, informed him that her nephew, MT. Phelan, who was chief clerk in the freight department would be glad to give him a place. My son did not want to leave home and begged me not to interfere. It occurred to me, under all the circumstances, 1t would be a piece of moral cowardice to stand longer in his way and force him to leave home. to avoid carping criticis,n, of which ought not to make him the victim, because he would work for a concern, which has thousands of men in its service, and Is always seeking competent men merely because it had case pending in my court. I had no agency direct. or indirect in getting the place for ohifnf fin any manner, shape or form He got the c1erkship7 six months ago. Certainly this matter, oc- curing long. after the courts action about which the Governor "criticises" me. and not then contemplated, could not be thought to have influenced even In his mind, decisions made year be- fore. I have always. felt that the man who received fair compensation for honest service did not lose his inde- pendence in any way, and did not be- come in any sense dependent upon the employer. or that the employer had any peculiar claims upon him to disre- gard other duties In life where the en- ployer might be concerned. Governor Conner evidently regards an employe as a moral chattel, whose obligations to his employer must always undermine the highest instincts of men. whenever the employers interests are involved.
 Conclusion.
 The atatcks upon me are made under circumstances where I have no remedy save to appeal to the just Judgment of my fellow men. In so doing, I have necessarily been compelled to tire their patience by recitals. which, under other circumstances. would not be of inter- est; and I rest under the assured con- viction that the public, knowing the truth. will mete out condemnation where 1t justly belongs.
 So far as my acts are concerned re- garding the rate matters. the import ant thing is whether those decisions were right or wrong. As to my mo- tive they belong to tribunal which does not take note of political pas sions. have not called the Cover nor's environment" growing out of former relations to the carriers or the several occupations or business In which he engaged before he became Gov ernor. or the private business relations of his brothers or sons to the front, in order to discredit him. trust there may be no further necessity on my part for discussion of issues so distastefuI