The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-28
Conner OPPOSED
PROHIBITION LAW
-
In Admission Speech Says It,
Passed Against Wishes
REVIEWS RATE FIGHT
Explains Attitude to Veterans, Deny
ing Having Oppressed People in
Increasing Taxes-Criticise
Governor O'Neal
ny HARRY NJ. AYERS

Admission, September 27.-tSpecial)
"I was opposed to that prohibition law
and 1t was passed against my Wishes"
said former Gov B. B. Conner In his
address at the Calhoun county court
house Saturday morning; and this ref
erence made by way of elueidatjng his
attitude on the liquor question is con-
sidered to be the only new feature to
a characteristic Conner address.
The bill was submitted to him by the
Leg stature, the speaker said, and he
signed 1t. He said that If he is elect
ed governor he will again sign . state
wide measure IL submitted to him; and
he declared that no other of the cam
didates for governor would decline to
do so. In concluding his reference TO
this subject. he said after repeating a
conversation he had had with Louis
saks in. Birmingham, you have got to.
fight the evil. We had seven homi-
cides in Birmingham in one day last
Sunday"
First Address in Calhoun
Mr.. Comers address in his former
home was very temperate. He men
toned the Montgomery Advertiser only
once, and did not refer to the other
papers of the state which he considers
to have been Influenced against him
He was introduced by DR.. J. Z. Wal
ker as "a man of affairs and ability,
a man broad enough and intellectual,
enough to handle the reins of govern
ment in Alabama--a man with a back
boae.v Mr.. Walker referred to Alabama
as a state big enough to extend hos
pitality to every industry from a one
horse plow to $4,000. .OO6'plant, grant
ing equal protection to all and COM
pelling all TO obey the law of the
state.
The speaker used DR.. Walkers
words, in part. as his text He said he
is not in the present race for fun, but
that he is not a quitter and, being
unable to get anyone else to take up
the fight he started for better railroad
rates in Alabama, he was asking the
people of the state to re-elect him. To
fulfill his promises, he also urged the
voters to retire the CORPORATION law
gers from politics and elect a legis-
lature and railroad commission
friendly to his policies.
Work Along Educational Lines
Mr.. Conner read the report of the
committee appointed by the last legis-
lature to prove that there was 1915, 900
in the treasury when he went out OF
office. He then referred to his work
In the interest of education, stating
that that man is playing to the gal
leries when he undertakes to create
prejudice against any of the schools >
in referring to the criticism aimed
| against him for his appropriations tc
Auburn, the University. the normal
schols and the agricultural schols. He
claimed that he did more for all the
| schools of the state than any othei
| governor in the history of Alabama
Since his administration began, he
claimed, the appropriation for the pub
| lie schools of the state have been in :
| creased $4,000. 900. 60 where you WILL
he >said, "and you will find that the
public schools are 100 per cent better
than when L went into office" He said
there are 5000 students in the high
schools he established alone, and "edu-
cation Is the highest thing you can
give to farmer or any other people,
he declared. "The schools are like the
fingers on your hand: injure any one
branch of them and you hurt them all"
He then explained his administra-
tions attitude to the old soldiers, de-
MED that he had oppressed the people
In increasing taxes. His policies he
said. made for 'peopleism" and "peo-
pleitis,'' not "Comerism' or "Comer-
ties. IF we did anything wrong" he
declared, don't blame us, but blame
yourselves. We merely carried out your
wishes by writing our platform into
law" He then repeated his assertion
that the O'Neal administration did not
change any of his laws but the liquor
laws. and they merely loved liquor,
little better than we did" he said
Then 1t was that he made the declar-
alton of his attitude on the liquor ques-
tion.
Review Rate Fight
Beginning review of his railroad rate
fight, the speaker declared that mo sec
tion and no country ever lost money by
standing for it's rights ana no country
ever gained money by allowing a usurpa-
ton of its rights. The railroads don't
seek to be heard. but they seek to con-
troll. Hereupon he reviewed the data in
his libel suit. which, he says, will come
up again in November. He says he is
getting letters from congressman and
members of the interstate commerce COM
mission with reference to the efforts he
is making to have a federal investigation
made of the tactics of the Louisville and
Nashville railroad in Alabama, show
ing,' he said, that the people are inter-
ested In this question:" AS matter of
local interest. he read tha latter of w n