The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-11
referendum, no recall, no relief save only

"One or the strongest objections urged against Mir. Bryan was that if elected President his appointments to the fed eral bench would be from that class of men who ten years ago were called dem- agogues, and populists; from that class or men who stand for reciprocity with Canada, for revision of the tariff down. ward, for an income tax. for a popular vote to elect the federal Senate; from | that class of old-fashioned men such as Judge Harlan from that class un-envi- roned by the men who use the govern ment for their selfish purposes; from that class of men who regard the peoples | rights as higher than money rights.
 Reduction of Rates
 'The Alabama legislature. 1907-11, in- creased the power of the railroad com mission, reduced the. rates on 110 articles of common production. consumption and use, established the 21a-cent passenger fare, all of which reduced the cost Of living, and greatly helped the producer and consumer.
 "The federal Congress last year in- creased the power of the interstate com mission, and made the commission referendum on freight rates. This law was enacted none too soon. The first act of this commission under the new law was to estop the most extensive footing scheme ever proposed Dy Wouiu-pe e"Aih5 power.
 "There was a universal agreement among the railroads to largely increase their freight rates, and notwithstandins the most exhaustive and expensive sta- tistics used as evidence by the railroads, showing that unless they were allowed to increase the rates they would be confis- cated and destroyed, the federal commits sion absolutely denied the proposed in- crease, and their written decisions as rem dered by Messrs Lane and Prouty are worthy of the most serious study and ap- proval. And the railroads are not de- stroyed. The effect of that decision on the business interests of America was in assuring the producers and consumers that in the government they could have protection, and also in the notice served to the public service corporations that there must be limitations to their cupidity and charges upon the people.
 "President Taft Is urging the reciprocity bill, the democratic bill, taking the tariff off 100 articles of common production, con- sumption and use; bill introduced by MT. Underwood, chairman of the ways and means committee, both passed the House, and it is all to help the producers and consumers of America and to reduce the cost of living. Both laws are for pro- tecting the many as against the enrich ment of the few, and both are opposed by what is known as the conservatives and stand-patters,' or those who get the benefits of class legislation, and both acts are now recognized on all sides as true political economy.
 "These things are a reproduction of just what Alabama has been trying to do, and such stand-patters as Judge Jones calls this confiscation and destruction, and lends the power of his court to prevent it's enforcement. I would recommend to him the careful reading of Baalam, the son of Beor.
 All Have Improved
 Tive -eights of our railroads have used both the legislative freight rates on 110 articles and the passenger rate of 21a cents for four years and there Is not the slightest evidence anywhere of confscation and destruction-all have improved It is fatuous to con- tinue to make this economic question depend on judicial determination in face of the facts that the highest physical evidence, the actual condition of the roads as shown in their published re- ports, the actual statement of their stock values as shown In the market quotations, and twice a year in the payment of dividends on every reason
 
 controversy the correctness of the states contention that the legislative made rates, both passenger and freight, are fair and compensatory
 "'rhe Central railroad when reorgan- ized In 1895 issued bonds to the value of the road which bonds are today above par. It then issued first, second and third income bonds, the first at a market value of 27 cents, the second at cents and the third at. cents all of which are now above par. and the holders of same are demanding regular ly paid interest.
 "rhe stock of the Central railroad issued at s5 per share as voting value cannot now be bought and all of these securities show increased value since the railroads adopted the state rates.
 The Louisville and Nashville railroad with sixty millions of stock, the ma : jarity of 1t pure water, since being forced by the appellate court and by the supreme court of the United States 10 adopt the state rate two years ago, has been contending all the time that the roads under these rates would fail in six months. It has been back to Judge Jones more than once with the contention that 1t could not use the state rates, freight and passenger. six months without being destroyed, and yet two years aIter tHe rates were put into effect it's stock is of the highest value known, except In the time Of John w. Gates when he wrested the road from Belmont and brought on the storm of furious speculation and it's earnings have never shown such high tide. It has never run so many trains, and for the first time in the history of the road its president Is obeying the laws Of the state.
 l. Jndpa TonaS had ernrtad him = self into a Colossus, and predetermined that the only anchorage for the state should be through his determinations, this question would have been settled long ago. His statement that as judge he did not want to try the cases, that he tried to get some other judge to try them, or to sit with him-'cest il possibil There Is not a civil judge in the state who would have allowed man of Judge Jones' environments to sit as juryman on railroad case. particularly the Louis vile and Nashville railroad.
 s"What pudding process has he gone through to eliminate the railroad ingred- tents? The statement that he selected MT. Gunter, the Nestor of Alabama law yers, as master, after a consultation with the states attorneys, intimating their approval, and the further proposition of delegating to him as master the power | to pass not only on the evidence of the | case, but also the law, so far as it re- lates to the Louisville and Nashville rail- road. all means that MT. Gunter Is vir- | tnally to decide the case.
 T can conceive of nothing further from a fair and importial determination ol this most important cause. Speaking simply from my viewpoint. without con- sultation or reference to the states at- | torneys, I would never have selected MT n aakA