Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-03-15
Dr. J. L. Caldwell, Adolph Felsenthsl, Gene Lake and
 P. H. Dickerson Heard.
ALL PRESENT CLAIMS
Dr. Caldwell Presents Dignified Ad- dress and Made Fine Impression In the Border City Fri.
 day Night.

Ft. Smith, March 14.-There was a large audience at the court house Friday night, when the candidates for railway commissioner of the South ern district presented their claims to the people. Only three candidates were present, Dr. J. L. Caldwell, who had made the appointment, A. Eel senthal of Camden and Gene Lake of Huntington.
 B. D. Crane, presided and in open ing the meeting he recited the con- ference of shippers at Little Rock at which Dr. Caldwell was selected and said that the qualifications of every candidate was considered.
 Dr. Caldwell opened by saving the people of Fort Smith had been very generous to him. He said it was best that there be geographical divi- sion of the commissioners and that the office was second in importance to none in the gift of the people save governor, and on occasions it even rose above that The entire trans portation of the state was entrusted to three men, and upon the trans poration facilities depended the fu- ture development of the state.
 Great care should be taken there- fore in selecting commissioners who would be fair to the public and the common carries. He said his ideal of the qualifications for the office were previous preparation, quoting Robert Bonner, preparation is the secret of success" Strength of iudg- ment, with patriotism, and common sense. States manship so broad it can properly be dignified with the name of patriotism. He said men who were easily swayed by prejudice pr sentiment ought not to be on the railroad commission. In speaking of the serious problems with which the commission had to deal, he recited the fact that citizen of Texarkana, Ark, could get rate 20 cents hundred lower by having his bill of laden signed on the Texas side of the city.
 He said Fort Smith had the great est variety of markets of any place in the state.
 What you want is the best man for the office, especially now when there are so many delicate questions before the Arkansas railway commits sion,' he declared. Then he brief ly reviewed his career for the last IT years, P years as pastor of the Presbyterian church at Pine Bluff, and four years as mayor and secre- tary of the Board of Trade of that city, his frequent appearance before the railroad commission, which had resulted in his having been admitted to the bar in order to handle the matters more thoroughly and his ap- pearances before congress sional com mittees in the interests of the inn provements of the Arkansas river. Dr. Caldwells address was dignified and scholarly.
 Adolph Felsenthal, who followed Dr. Caldwell. stated he agreed with him upon the qualifications for rail- road commissioner but would add zeal and energy and experience and honesty. He said his father had come to Arkansas a poor Jew ped dler, that he had received only a common school education, but for 15 years he had been manager of bus mess having houses in New York, St. Louis and Memphis doing an annual business of $25O,000 to $3oo,oOo and now vas the head of one of the largest wholesale houses in Southern Arkansas.
 "You want a man for railway com- missioner who can get results. What you want is reduced freight rates and conditions better than they are now he said. He then spoke of his securing the governments improve ments of the Ouachita river, at cost of s2,000.000, so that it will be navi- gable at all seasons of the year, his labor in behalf of the twice month pay day bill. his breaking up mer- chandise scrip payments by saw mills and other industries, securing a $25.ooo school house for Camden and aiding the farmers in holding their cotton through the panic of 1907.
 He said that if he were elected he would not simply attend the stated meetings. but would endeavor to visit every railroad point in the state. Ind out the peoples grievances, have them corrected + we'll founded .oe the