The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-09
COMER'S LOBBY" AN
EFFORT To BOLSTER
HIS FAILING FORTUNE
WALLACE
Candidate Sensational i'm
Discussing Comer's Peti-
ton for Investigation
of 'InsidiOus Lobby"
WALLACE

Fayette. September S.-tSpecal)
AT the convening OF the circuit court
in Fayette Judge Barnard Harwood pre-
siding, John II. Wallace. Jr., and r. F.
kolb. candidates for governor and W.
r. Bankhead and W. b. Oliver. can
didates for Congress from the Sixth
district, delivered addresses to a large
audience.
Mr.. Wallace took occasion during the
course of his speech to deliver caus-
tic exoriation against Mr.. Conner s
attempt to bolster up his failing and
fast falling political fortune by pre-
tending to demand a federal investi-
cation of an alleged insidions railroad
lobby in Alabama. Referring 10 Mr. CO.
mers proposed investigation mir Wal
lace said:
1In order to attempt to bolster up
his falling and fast falling political
fortunes MIR. Conner has gone back nine
years into the musty court records and
fished out stale and antiquated docu-
ments which are familiar to even the
most obscure man in Alabama.
Opens on Conner
by this method he nopes to engender
sufficient preiueices against the railroads
tc elect him to office a third time. The
people of Alabama care absolutely nothing
about Mr.. Comer's personal fight against
Milton H. Smith and the Louisville and
Nashville railroad. His petition is not
for the purpose of redressing supposed
wrongs but is circulated as a campaign
document, with the hope that mis- political
fortunes may be advanced in his race for
governor.
'As a practieing lawyer I never rep
resented railroad in my life, nor am
being supported in my race for governor
by The railroads hence | am in a position
to know what is fair and right Mr..
Conner would have Alabama included in a
resolution introduced into the Senate by
Luke Lea who was elected to the United
States Senate by a few boiling democrats
who combined with the republicans of
the Tennessee legislature.
Local Self Government
Mr.. Conner would abrogate the prin-
ciples of local self government and OF
states rights by bringing about a fed
eral Investigation that would be con-
Quoted by a committee composed of
democrats and republicans who would
thus take part in aastate fight in Ala
bama between the democrats for the
nomination of governor
THE people of Alabama opposed fed
eral interference with local affairs
when the patriots of the state arose as
one man in the perilous days of the
sixties to resist the onslaughts of the
invading Federal soldiers. The people
of Alabama opposed federal interfer-
ence when, just prior to reconstruction,
negroes were enfranchised and Federal
IL.
people of Alabama opposed federal in
reference when the force bin was
sought to be passed by the republicans
in Congress, which contemplated fed
eral supervision of elections and which
Alabama's illustrious patriot and
statesman, John T. Morgan, spoke in
the United States senate for seven
days to defeat. The people of Ala
bama opposed federal interference
when Crumpacker of Indiana sought 10
pass bill aimed at the south, basing
our representation on votes polled.
Conner III the Past
MI Conner In the past has denounced
the removal of state cases to the fed
eral courts, thus resenting federal in
reference in such instances, even going
so far as to designate "A federal judge
by the belittling term of petty federal
judge 1t is indeed a tragedy. there
fore, that man who has been honored
with the governorship of Alabama
should renounce the principles of local
self government and of states rights,
to which in his fight against the rail-
roads he has so vigorously appealed in
tile past and should now in the direness
of his frantic extremity appeal to the
federal government for aid.
Mr.. Conner is estopped under all the
rules of fair pleading from pressing HIS
proposed investigation for the reason
that all the acts of which he complains
occurred prior to the time he was gov
ernor. When he was governor he held
the legislature of Alabama by the
throat Why, then, did he not investi-
gate the 1nsidious railroad lobby? lie
could have done so with the absolute
assurance that the alleged insidious'
lobby could have been convicted of eN-
cry crime by his Legislature within the
category of criminality, for the will of
Mr.. Conner was the law.
The Court Decision
''The supreme court of the United
States, in the Minnesota cases decided
that the railroad rates should be fixed
by the railroad commission. Statutory
rates are purely arbitrary and not sub
ject to change without an extraordinary
session of the Legislature, the calling OF
which would entail great expense to the
state. The railroad commission after a
fair hearing should determine railroad
rates based upon what is just and right,
this tribunal is the proper medium
through which railroad rates should be
adjusted
~1he backbone. the patriotism the in