The Pensacola journal., 1910-12-27

diences in various sections of the
state, where none but strange fea-
lures greeted him, he had told them
that they knew him only by his record,
but had asked them to go to mis- home
where he is known.
AS TO THE /. e. NJ.
Mr.. Blount then took up his conrec.
ton with the Louisville & Nashville
Railroad. and said that one OF the
charges being made against him is
that he has been a corporation lawyer
for many years and therefore an out
cast.
In this connection he said he had
served the Louisville & Nashville as
attorney, and attorney only. faithfully
and to the best of ais ability. and sub
nIted to the people of Pensacola that
during the period that he had been the
attorney CT the road there had not
been a single act of oppression upon
his part
Il have served It as l have served
thousands of others-hackmen. wash
women, labore~S and merchants--T
have served il all the time as a client
and not for single mcn1ent have
allowed it to dominate me-"
The speaker said that Il similar
charge had been made against Sem
ator Fletcher, when he was a candi-
date, not only by speakers, but in lit
erature sent broadcast over the state,
and the senator's favorite reply was:
Il have served as attorney for muir
derers. Does that make NE q mur
derer?
Il have served hundreds OF criri-
mails as attorney and fer the money
h,,t 1,o4
a criminal"
Some men, said the speaker. had
stated they would vote against him be-
cause he represented the Louisville e
Nashville as an attorney. If they are
honest in the belief that l would vote
the people and favor the raj!
roads against the interests OF the peO-
pie, then l say, If they are honest IL
this belief, vote against me-
HIS PUBLIC RECORD.
Mr.. Blount then reviewed his pubE4
record, first in the constitutional con
vention and later in the state senate
In the constitutional convention
said the speaker, he represented the
people. and at the same time he Was
the paid attorney fol the Louisville 4
Nashville railroad At vt time H.
voted for a railroad commission, al,
though ne knew at the time that its
very purpose was to regulate the
Louisville & Nashville. as we'll as
other railroads. He voted. he said,
against the railroads issuing free
passes to legislator although he
knew that the most powerful influence
in Legislation was railroad pass in
the pocket of legislator.
Il appeal to you said the speake?,
whether served the interests of the
people, or the railroads in that con-
vention?"
In 1903 and 1905. Mr. Blount said
he represented the people of Escam /. Il
in the state senate, and he reviewed
his record and votes in that body
One measure which he favored an !
voted for, was to increase the: powers
of the Florida railroad commission, b.
cause he thought it a just measure
He had voted, he said, fully twenty
times, while III the senate, against the
granting of undue privileges to COZ
porations, Notwithstanding that some
of his lifelong friends had urged HIM
to vast his vote otherwise.
| Il voted thus because I Was a citi-
zen of the state Of Florida, before ] be
came attorney for the l.. & n. and
when l am no longer in the employ Of
the louisville Il Nashville railroad.
will still be citizen of this state"
The speaker said that it had been
charged against him that he had been
the father of the four-cent rate, but il
is hard to conceive how man can be
tie father of anything that existed ne
fore he IS born. and that the four-cent
rate was effective long before he b.
came an attorney for the l.. & n.
Testimony in this case. he said, is
being taken and has been in progress
for the past two years, to decide upon
the reasonableness Of the 4-cent rate,
but that testimony had not been sub
nitted to him and never would De-
Continuing along this line he said that
a peculiar condition would exist IL
wholesale merchants Or retail mer-
chants allowed their statesmen to die
tate the price of their goods, SO would
it be peculiar if the president and
idlrectors Of the Louisville & Nashville
railroad came to a local attorney to
find out what rate to charge.
He then took up that phase OF the
charge that he had defeated the ei.
forts OF three attorney generals and
the Florida railroad commission to
lower this four-cent rate. and in doing
so related an instance Of a partisa n
voter in another section Of the state
who had approached a doubtful ma n
and told how Blount had defeated all
OF the attorney generals CT Florida ana
the railroad com .ntsx.o.; in their effort
| to lower the rate. When the partisan
had concluded his talk, the doubtful
voter. after asking if il was all true
that Blount hid dCne this. and being
Informed that it was. said that then
he would vote for him for president of
the United States.
But | had absolutely nothing to do
with these rate cases. They were han
died entirely by the late Col Baxter. -
| The speaker in referring TO the
charges made against him sall that if
| the voters believed he did not have
the ability or fidelity, then TO vote
against him, and for one OF The ether
| TWO candidates.
| Another charge, he said. that is
being made against him is thai he did
! not desire the vote Of poor man. or
! TO associate with him, and in this con
nection his letter of withdrawal from
| the race last spring is being read
| Il an not ashamed OF thai letter.