The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-03


stock, but an additional sum to run polt-
ical campaigns in Alabama.
The methods above mentioned have con-
tfnued. The insidious lobby Is still at
work. One hundred thousand dollars has
recently been used through the press ex-
actly like that used by the sugar. wool,
tobacco and other trusts, whose per-
nielous activities are now being developed
at Washington through congressional in
vestigation and against which President
Wilson recently made such a strong at
tack regarding the 'insidious lobby car
ried on by these agencies in the national
halls of legislation.
Senatorial Investigation
Senator Luke Lea from Tennessee, has
introduced a resolution in the Senate of
the United States, asking for an investi-
cation of the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad company in Tennessee. We will
request an amendment to this resolution
so as to include an investigation of this
railroad in the conduct of it's affairs in
Alabama. We viii insist upon federal
investigation either through this source
under the direction of Congress or
through the interstate commerce commis-
sion or Attorney General, that the peo-
pie of Alabama may be informed by what
authority this Interstate railroad system
and its officers are permitted to take
freight and passenger taxes on the peo-
pie. and use the same, not for the bet
terment of its roads. or for the payment
of interest on its bonded Indebtedness and
dividends TO its stockholders, but for the
purpose of debauchfng and bribing the
people in elections.
River Improvement Made Useless
The selfish and arbitrary conduct of the
Louisville and Nashville railroad and
other common carriers in refusing TO al
low our rivers and habors to participate
as carriers of freight has rendered worth
less the millions of dollars obtained from
the national government by our members
of Congress and which has been ex-
pended in Alabama for the purpose of
making the channels in these waterwa Us
navigabe.
The Tennessee river, carrying more
water than the Cumberland and Ohio
rivers combined, and running through Ill
of our northern counties. crossed or
touched in many places by the railroads,
improved at a cost to the federal gov
ernment of $S.000000, is denied every right
of carrier cooperation and service.
The Tombigbee and Warrior rivers,
with navigation made possible by many
millions of government money. the Ala
bama, the Mobile, even Mobile harbor
itself, all are hog-tied as to carrier serv-
ice by a combination of railroad interests
unbelievable in its open, bullying. destruc-
tive methods.
Shall These Millions be Wasted?
If these arteries of water traffic are to
be continued to be bottled up" then
these vast amounts of money expended
on them is a pure waste and had better
have been placed the public high
ways. thousand times better would it
have been for our representatives in Con-
gress to have secured a like appropria-
tion for post roads. for on these at least
there would have been no railroad en-
bargo no exposure showing how COM
petitve boats have been stifed and com
petitive barges prohibited.
Call for Remedy
| No people have so tamely submitted
/ to such suppression of the usufruct of sucn
unmeasured natural advantages improved
| at great cost and we call upon our rep
| resentatives in Congress to render lis
l further aid in an effort to secure the per
manent release of our rivers and har-
bors from this railroad embargo. And
we call upon the people of Alabama to
show in this campaign their emphatic
| refusal to permit the government of Ala
bama to revert to the control of it's old
time master the Louisville and Nashvill,
! Railroad company, a corporation of Ken
| lucky, and it's satellites In the realm o
special privilege.
Extracts From Sworn Testimony
Below will be found some of the letters
attached to the said testimony of tn
Louisville and Nashville Railroad com
pany in said libel case:
The reproduction of all that the cour
records show in said case concerning th
pernicious activities of the Louisville anf
Nashville Railroad company in said elec
( aalr fC ttaIn 1,.,p
Sufficient copies of letters attached t,
said testimony are here given, to con
vince the impartial mind of the way thi
foreign corporation, by unfair and cor
rupt methods, endeavored to control al
Alabama election
Vice President Hines Letter
The following letter from the said Wal
! ker D. Hines, first vice president tn,
| chief in control of the organized figh
against b. 3. Conner, indicates the coer
con of the Louisville and Nashville Rail
road companys employees in Alabam;
to defeat Mr.. Conner, by an ill-concealet
cowardly threat to reduce their wage i
he was elected. and was written befor,
the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
company had selected a candidate:
February %, 1904.
&c. E. Evans, General Manager:
Dear Sir: Mr.. b. B. Conner of Bir
mlngh ham is a candidate for president O
the Alabama railroad commission Hi
platform is the radical and arbitrary re
duction of rates, extensive modification
of car service rules and other changes i,
the regulation of the railroads which vii
| very materially impair our revenues. /
| is important that our employees In Ala
| bama should understand that it is no
only of great importance to the compan,
to defeat Mr.. Conner, but that their IN
terests are also involved, because sucl
heavy reductions as Mr. Conner avows h,
| will make may force reduction II
] wages.
Il suggest you arrange as promptly q
practicable to have this matter brough
up in a proper manner to the attention o
a full appreciation on their part of th'
Importance of working in every wa,
| against Mr.. Conner.
"As it has not yet been decided who II
| the strongest opponent of Mr.. Conner. W,
| cannot yet say whom our friends shoui.
! support, but 1t seems important mean
while to develop a strong anti-Comer sen
| timent.
| Il suggest the particularly intelligen
and loyal employees who are in position
| to obtain information of value in tn,
| campaign be requested to watch the mat
| ter closely and report to Mr.. George w
| Jones, assistant to district attorney n
Montgomery. any information which they
| think would be of value as to the atti
| tude of influential persons of their corr
munity, the general sentiment. etc. Worl
! of this character would be essentially val
| liable on the part of the loyal station
| agents of good Judgment as they are pc